Iran's Security Chief Says Trump Suffered Military and Political Defeats in War with Tehran
"The Iranian nation handed Trump a strategic defeat on the battlefield and in the Hormuz – and a POLITICAL DEFEAT in Washington," Rezaei wrote in a post on X.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump had suffered a strategic defeat against Iran both on the battlefield and in the political arena, pointing to the outcome of the US midterm elections.
"The Iranian nation handed Trump a strategic defeat on the battlefield and in the Hormuz – and a POLITICAL DEFEAT in Washington," Rezaei wrote in a post on X.
Rezaei's remarks came in the aftermath of the Wednesday midterm elections, in which the Democratic Party secured control of both chambers of the US Congress, according to the election results. Iranian officials have portrayed the outcome as a rejection of Trump's policies toward Tehran and his handling of the war.
The statements come amid the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which began on February 28, following joint US-Israeli military strikes against Iranian targets. The conflict escalated after the killing of Iran's longtime Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering further military confrontations and significant disruptions to regional security and international energy markets.
A temporary ceasefire was reached in April, raising hopes for a diplomatic resolution. However, negotiations failed to produce a lasting agreement, and fighting resumed in July, bringing renewed military activity across the region.
In the latest escalation, the United States carried out strikes targeting Iranian military assets near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, including locations on Qeshm and Hengam islands and in the port city of Bandar Abbas, according to the information provided.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical international shipping route through which a significant share of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passes. Any military confrontation in or around the waterway carries the risk of disrupting global energy shipments and increasing pressure on international markets.
By referring to the Strait of Hormuz, Rezaei sought to frame Iran's ability to confront US military operations and maintain pressure in the strategic waterway as part of what he described as a broader victory over Washington.
His comments also linked the military confrontation to developments in US domestic politics, presenting the Democratic gains in the midterm elections as a political setback for Trump and his administration.