Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator, wrote on X that "Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message." He warned of a "Nightmare" if the signal is ignored or open conflict resumes. Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said Trump was "defeated both militarily and politically," and Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani called the outcome a "massive defeat" for the United States and Israel. Thousands marched in Tehran to mark the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the US Embassy, which lasted 444 days. They burned American and Israeli flags and chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Israel."

Trump acknowledged in an interview Tuesday evening that the war was "a piece" of the backlash against Republican candidates, and he tied it to surging fuel prices and the loss of both chambers. In a separate telephone interview he said the conflict may have cost Republicans votes but called the decision to attack Iran "very wise." He also said he is willing to accept the election results and that there are no immediate plans to strike Iran: "We're locked and loaded if we need to go, but there may be no reason for it." Voters rated the war a low priority, though a September survey by the Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs found that 86 percent of Americans consider it bad for the cost of living. Representative Ro Khanna called the war Trump's "biggest betrayal" and said Democrats would stop funding the offensive.

The war began in February with US and Israeli strikes, which killed Khamenei's father, Ali Khamenei, on February 28. It has been in a stalemate for months. Mojtaba Khamenei warned that the chance of renewed war remains high and that fighting, if it resumes, could widen. He pointed to Iran's earlier attacks on US bases in the Middle East and its threat to block the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas once passed. Ghalibaf told parliament on Tuesday that renewed US action could open a "new battlefield."

The US carried out limited strikes on Monday on Qeshm and Hengam islands and near Bandar Abbas. A US official called them defensive, a response to Iranian use of surface-to-air missiles against American assets, and said they were not a resumption of major combat. Trump described the Qeshm strike as a "minor attack." Iranian state media reported five explosions on Qeshm, and the Revolutionary Guards said they destroyed a US MQ-1 drone, which the US has not confirmed. Iranian state TV also reported that four oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines on unauthorized routes in the strait. The Guards called them "rogue" tankers and said they had intercepted two other vessels.

Diplomacy continues alongside the military activity. Qatar is mediating indirect talks on Iran's nuclear program and the reopening of the strait, and Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari confirmed both sides are reviewing proposals. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his government has new powers to negotiate on issues previously off-limits. Iran says the strait will not reopen until the US lifts its port blockade. It also wants oil sanctions eased, frozen assets released and a ceasefire covering Lebanon, while US negotiators seek limits on Iran's nuclear activities. Vice President JD Vance said Monday that he and Trump feel "pretty good" about a negotiated settlement. Trump ordered US negotiators to travel to Pakistan days before a Middle East ceasefire expires, and Iranian media report that Tehran does not plan to attend. Thousands of US troops remain in waters off Iran to maintain the blockade, and another aircraft carrier and more troops are on the way.