Iranupdated 2h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 13 December 2025Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf Challenges JD Vance Over Trump’s Israel-First Policy And War On Iran
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Iran's Ghalibaf challenged Vance to confront Trump over Israel-first policy and the Iran war. Midterm setbacks shape US policy on Iran, Israel, and Ukraine, per CNN and Washington Post.
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Ghalibaf challenges Vance
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf challenged US Vice President JD Vance to confront President Donald Trump over Washington’s Israel-first policy and the war on Iran, after Vance said the conflict contributed to Republicans’ crushing defeat in the US midterm elections. Ghalibaf posted on his X account on Thursday, writing, “Why not say this to your boss?”
Vance had acknowledged the political cost of the war on Iran in a lengthy X post on Wednesday, writing, “The reason we lost is the war.” Vance’s post also described four factors behind the Republican losses, including “End the war,” “Focus on cost of living/inflation,” “Put America First,” and “Change our relationship to Israel.”
Congressional leverage
Democrats secured control of the US Senate and House of Representatives in Tuesday’s midterm elections, and the Arab Weekly said the foreign policy agenda now includes Iran and aid to Israel. Trump did not secure approval from Congress before he launched the war with Iran alongside Israel on February 28, and Democrats have voted repeatedly to end the fighting unless he seeks congressional authorisation.
Carnegie’s Middle East Program scholars said Congress in opposition to a sitting president faces limited options, noting that tools like “speeches, nonbinding resolutions, and investigations” can apply political pressure but “do not easily force its hand.” Carnegie added that binding resolutions on the use of force or withholding federal funds require veto-proof majorities that will need votes from Republicans as well, shaping how Democrats could constrain Trump’s foreign policy.
Iran, Israel, and stakes
Iran celebrated Trump’s midterm setback but braced for what comes next, including a possible new US strike or a fresh push for a deal. Ghalibaf, writing on X, said “If the US government betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare,” as Tehran prepared for more war while intensifying diplomacy.
“One-hundred percent of the results would have been different without the war.”
Tehran warned that its retaliation would be much wider in scope than in earlier rounds, and Trump told some journalists he was considering striking Iran hard. The Jerusalem Post said the election results could affect Israeli interests through President Donald Trump’s policy toward Iran, the new balance of power in Congress, and the 2028 presidential election, adding that “One-hundred percent of the results would have been different without the war.”