Iran strikes defiant tone after Trump poll defeat

Tehran expressed a resolute attitude on Wednesday, in the wake of a devastating electoral loss for US President Donald Trump's Republicans in Congress. The Islamic Republic vowed that military incursions or threats would not compel Tehran to bow down. "Attacking Iran does not bring victory. It only results in defeat," stated Esmail Baghaei, according to a message posted on X. "Iran is not a nation that can be understood through arrogance, intimidated through threats or brought to its knees through aggression."

The message was also believed to be based on a speech by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, which was published. The speech declared that Washington's objective remained the "unconditional surrender of the Iranian nation," irrespective of which party controlled Congress. The speech warned that any concessions or steps towards yielding could jeopardize Iran's accomplishments. Iranian media outlets widely disseminated the text, which was released to mark a series of celebrations in the Islamic Republic.