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Day 250 of the WarWednesday, November 4, 2026

Day 250 — Democrats Win Congress per U.S. Network Projections; Vance: 'The Reason We Lost Is the War'; Trump Says It Was Worth It; Mojtaba Khamenei's Message Threatens 'Far Wider Dimensions'

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Iranian Officials Appear to Welcome the Result, per BBC Persian, and Threaten a Wider War: Speaker Ghalibaf Writes That 'Americans Said No to War' and Warns 'Our No' Will Bring 'a Nightmare', per Vahid Online; SNSC Secretary Rezaei Claims Iran Inflicted 'a Great Strategic Defeat' on Trump and 'a Heavy Political Defeat in Washington', per Iran International, While MP Shahriari Says the Chance of War Falls and Iran Must Act 'More Precisely and Rationally', per BBC Persian; a 13 Aban Message Published on Mojtaba Khamenei's Website, Which Radio Farda Calls 'Attributed' to Him, Claims Iran's Reaction Will Take On 'Far Wider Dimensions' if Attacks Are Repeated, per BBC Persian; IRGC Adviser Moghaddamfar Threatens the UAE and Bahrain, per Iran International, and FM Spokesman Baghaei Warns of a 'Huge Miscalculation', per BBC Persian

Iran
  • Speaker Ghalibaf, who heads Iran's negotiating team, wrote on the morning of 13 Aban that 'whether out of conscience or the cost of living, Americans said No to war, and we support this message', warning that if Washington betrays its people's will, 'our No' will bring 'a nightmare', per Vahid Online.source
  • SNSC secretary Rezaei claimed Iran 'imposed a great strategic defeat on Trump on the battlefield and in the Strait of Hormuz, and a heavy political defeat in Washington', per Iran International; MP Shahriari told Jamaran the chance of war falls with the new Congress and Iran must act 'more precisely and rationally', per BBC Persian.source
  • A 13 Aban message published on Mojtaba Khamenei's website claimed Iran's 'management of the Strait of Hormuz and destruction of U.S. bases' in the region would take on 'far wider dimensions' if attacks are repeated, per BBC Persian; it says anyone hoping concessions will end U.S. hostility is 'gravely mistaken'.source
  • IRGC chief's adviser Moghaddamfar said that if the UAE, Bahrain or others give the U.S. a base to attack Iran, 'this time we will not strike only… the bases' and responses 'will no longer be proportional', per Iran International; FM spokesman Baghaei warned of the consequences of a 'huge miscalculation', per BBC Persian.source

Inside Iran on 13 Aban: Iran International Reports Schools Closed and Pupils Threatened With Grade Cuts to Fill the State Marches, and Videos It Received Show Pupils Chanting 'Javid Shah' in Shahrekord and Isfahan; Lawyer Reza Shafakhah Says Evin Prisoner Amirhossein Mousavi Was Sentenced to Death Over the 'James Bidin' X Account, per Radio Farda, and HRANA Identifies Vahid Khedrikhah as One of Three Mashhad Detainees Sentenced to Death for 'Moharebeh', per Iran International; Super Petrol Goes on Sale at 103,000 Tomans a Litre, per Vahid Online, and a Karaj Resident Says Stores Stopped Taking Kalabarg Coupons, per Iran International; Prince Reza Pahlavi Tells a European Parliament Press Conference the Regime 'Will Fall', per Iran International

Iran
  • Iran International reported schools closed and pupils threatened with grade cuts to bring them to the compulsory 13 Aban state marches; videos it received show pupils chanting 'Javid Shah' back at the regime chant-leader in Shahrekord and in Isfahan's streets during the official ceremonies.source
  • Lawyer Reza Shafakhah said Branch 15 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court sentenced Evin prisoner Amirhossein Mousavi to death for 'efsad-fil-arz' over his X account 'James Bidin', per Radio Farda; HRANA identified Vahid Khedrikhah, 34, as one of three Mashhad protest detainees sentenced to death for 'moharebeh', per Iran International.source
  • Domestically produced super petrol went on sale at 103,000 tomans a litre, the national refining and distribution company's CEO said, with the final price put at 103,000–110,000, per Vahid Online; a Karaj resident told Iran International several stores stopped taking Kalabarg e-coupons as the government has not paid them.source
  • At a European Parliament press conference with families of killed protesters, Prince Reza Pahlavi said the Islamic Republic 'is weaker than ever and will fall; the question is when and how fast', asking whether Europe will stand with Iranians or keep appeasing the regime, per Iran International.source

U.S. Midterms: CNN and CBS Project the Democrats Have Won the House of Representatives and NBC Projects 241 Seats to 191, per Iran International, and CBS Says That With Over Half the Vote Counted They Won Both Chambers, per Vahid Online, After a Turnout BBC Persian Calls Historic; Trump Tells Fox the Iran War Played a Role Because People Could Not Accept the Short-Term Petrol-Price Effects, per Iran International, and Tells the WSJ 'Iran Was Part of It' but 'I Did the Right Thing', per BBC Persian; Vance Writes 'The Reason We Lost Is the War', per Iran International; at the White House Trump Says the War Was Worth It, He Would Make the Same Decision and 'We're Continuing to Do It', per Iran International

US / Coalition
  • CNN and CBS projected the Democrats have won a majority in the House of Representatives and NBC projected 241 seats to the Republicans' 191, per Iran International; CBS later said that, with over 50% of votes counted, they had won both the House and the Senate, per Vahid Online.source
  • Trump told Fox overnight that the Iran war played a role in the Republican defeat, as people probably could not accept the short-term petrol-price effects, and that he plans no cabinet change, per Iran International; he told the WSJ 'Iran was part of it' but 'I did the right thing', per BBC Persian.source
  • Vance wrote on X: 'The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night', adding that 2024 Trump–Vance voters switched to the Democrats and, per a pollster, want the war ended, a focus on living costs, America first and a changed relationship with Israel, per Iran International.source
  • In his first public remarks after the vote, Trump said he knew the war would affect the election but it was worth it and 'if I went back, I'd make the same decision', per Iran International; on Vance, he said it was 'largely true' as petrol prices rose a bit, but 'we had to do it and we're continuing to do it'.source

At Sea and in the Region: The IRGC Claims Four 'Violating' Tankers Were Destroyed by Sea Mines on the Southern Hormuz Route and Two Ships Stopped, per Radio Farda, Which Notes CENTCOM Has Repeatedly Called Such Claims False, and Fars Carries IRGC Claims of a '56th' MQ-9 and a '15th' MQ-1 Downed, With No U.S. Comment in the Material; the WSJ Says Iran Has Turned to Asymmetric Tactics Including Underwater Drones and Limpet Mines, per Iran International; BBC Verify Says the USS Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group Is Heading West in the South China Sea Toward Malacca and Could Reach CENTCOM's Area by Mid-November; Iraqi Security Sources Tell Reuters Drones Struck Iranian Kurdish Opposition Positions, per BBC Persian

Gulf & Naval
  • The IRGC claimed early on 13 Aban that four 'violating' tankers on the southern Hormuz route hit sea mines and were destroyed and two ships were stopped, per Radio Farda, which notes CENTCOM has repeatedly called such mine claims false; Fars also carried IRGC claims of a '56th' MQ-9 and a '15th' MQ-1 downed.source
  • The WSJ, citing regional officials, security firms and military experts, said Iran has turned to asymmetric tactics — explosive-laden underwater drones, limpet mines, RPGs and small boats attaching explosives to merchant hulls — to regain control of Hormuz and pressure Washington, per Iran International.source
  • BBC Verify said Sentinel-2 imagery of 4 November shows the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group, seven vessels identified, heading west in the South China Sea toward the Strait of Malacca; if bound for CENTCOM's area, it is expected around mid-November, per BBC Persian.source
  • Iraqi security sources told Reuters on Wednesday that two explosive-laden drones struck Iranian Kurdish opposition positions in Sulaymaniyah and east of Erbil, after Iranian media reported blasts at the groups' bases the previous night; the IRGC and army have not claimed it, per BBC Persian.source

After the Vote: The White House Says Trump Has 'Full Confidence' in War Secretary Hegseth After CBS News Reports He Asked Advisers Whether Hegseth Should Stay, per Iran International, and Trump Says His Removal Is Not on the Agenda, per BBC Persian; Senate Democratic Leader Schumer Says 'We Will End the War', if Necessary With the 'Power of the Purse', per Iran International; Brent Falls More Than 8% to About $95, a Two-Month Low, as Markets See a Lower Risk of Major Escalation With Iran, per BBC Persian; the EU's Kallas, France's Barrot, Germany's Wadephul and the UK Prime Minister React, the Last Seeing an 'Opportunity' to Focus on Ending the Iran War, per Radio Farda

Global
  • The White House said Trump has 'full confidence' in War Secretary Hegseth after CBS News, citing informed sources, reported Trump asked advisers whether Hegseth should stay, per Iran International; Trump said Hegseth did very well and his removal is not on the agenda, per BBC Persian.source
  • Senate Democratic leader Schumer said 'we will end the war' and Democrats will if necessary use the 'power of the purse' to cut War Department funding, adding some Senate Republicans will back ending it quickly, per Iran International, which notes four Republican senators earlier backed a withdrawal resolution.source
  • Brent fell more than 8% on Wednesday to about $95 a barrel, a two-month low, after Vance blamed the war for the defeat, as markets read the post-election outlook as lowering the risk of major escalation with Iran, per BBC Persian; the Dow rose 3% and the S&P 500 1.6%.source
  • The EU's Kallas said U.S. voters spoke 'clearly', France's Barrot that democracy is alive but Europe must protect its interests, Germany's Wadephul that a 'new opportunity' for initiatives may arise, and the UK prime minister saw an 'opportunity' to focus on ending the Iran war, per Radio Farda.source

Sources