Top Iranian official mocks Vance after he blames Iran war for midterm rout

TEHRAN — A senior Iranian negotiator mocked JD Vance on Thursday after the US Vice President blamed Republican midterm losses on the war in Iran.

Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf said on Thursday that Vance showed “losing-gambler energy,” and that he “can’t walk away from the table.”

“Boss is prepping the next war phase while America teeters on an Israel-First cliff. Skip the TED talk. Why not say this to your boss?” Ghalibaf wrote on X.

Ghalibaf’s comments came after Vance published a lengthy post explaining the reasons behind the Republican Party’s recent electoral setbacks, arguing that low voter turnout was not the main factor.

The US vice president claimed that the reason for the defeat of Republicans was the military conflict against Iran. "Agree or disagree, that's at least honest," Vance declared.

Vance said Republican supporters had turned out to vote, but a significant number of voters who supported Trump and Vance in the 2024 election had voted for Democrats this time.

He also referred to a poll by a prominent election analyst that asked dissatisfied Trump voters what could persuade them to support Republicans again.

Vance’s remarks come as the Trump administration’s foreign policy, particularly its approach to war and relations with Israel, faces growing scrutiny in assessments of the Republican Party’s political performance.

Trump has admitted that the war in Iran was partly to blame for the Republicans’ losses. Vance was more explicit, saying in a lengthy X post Wednesday that “the reason we lost is the war.”

But many Republican lawmakers and allies are moving swiftly to pin blame on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the House could vote as soon as next week to impeach the Pentagon’s chief.