Economy
Mojtaba Khamenei says US elections won't change Iran policy after midterms
Iran's Supreme Leader dismissed hopes of a softer Washington line after reports of a Democratic sweep of Congress, a signal markets and oil traders will watch closely.
Desh Flash desk5 November 2026, 7:35 am IST2 minUpdated 5 November 2026, 7:35 am IST

Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has said the outcome of American elections will not change Washington's stance toward Tehran, responding to reports that Democrats have won control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterms.
According to the source report, Khamenei rejected the idea that a shift in the balance of power in Washington would bring a gentler approach to Iran. In his telling, American hostility is a constant rather than something tied to whichever party holds office.
He also cautioned that any fresh US military action against Iran could widen into a far larger conflict across the region. The report does not detail specific triggers, and the warning reads as a statement of deterrence rather than a announcement of new steps.
For a morning briefing audience, the context matters. Tensions between Tehran and Washington are already elevated, and Iran is signalling that its position is fixed regardless of US domestic politics. That leaves little room for the quick diplomatic reset some observers might have expected after a congressional shake-up.
Why it matters for India and for markets: the Gulf is central to India's crude oil supply and to shipping routes, so rhetoric of regional escalation tends to draw attention from oil traders, importers and currency watchers. Nothing in the report points to a disruption, but the tone is a reminder of how geopolitical risk can feed into fuel prices and the rupee.
The bright spot is that a divided or reshaped Congress can still influence how Washington handles sanctions and negotiations, so diplomacy is not off the table. For now, though, Tehran's message is that it is not counting on one.
Read the original report: Times of India.
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