Iran's Parliament Speaker Mocks US Senator Vance Over Midterm Loss Blame

A senior Iranian negotiator has sarcastically responded to US Vice President JD Vance after he attributed Republican midterm election defeats to the war in Iran. Iran’s Speaker of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated on Thursday that Vance exhibited "losing-gambler energy" and "can’t walk away from the table." Ghalibaf further commented on X, "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?" This exchange follows Donald Trump's admission that the war in Iran contributed to the Republicans' losses. Vance had been more direct in a lengthy X post on Wednesday, asserting that "the reason we lost is the war." Ghalibaf has been a key negotiator in US-Iran talks aimed at ending the conflict.