'Death To America': Iran Burns Trump, Vance, Netanyahu, Witkoff Posters As Thousands Celebrate US Midterm Rout At Fiery Anti-American Rally

Tehran: Iran witnessed fresh anti-American demonstrations on Wednesday as thousands of government supporters and hardliners gathered outside the former US embassy in Tehran, burning posters of US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The protests came hours after Trump's Republican Party suffered a major setback in the US midterm elections, losing control of Congress amid public discontent over the Iran war, rising fuel prices and the cost of living.

The annual rally, held to mark the 1979 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran, saw demonstrators wave Iranian flags, burn US and Israeli flags and raise slogans of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". Posters featuring Trump and Netanyahu were also set on fire, while caricatures mocked the two leaders. One banner portrayed Trump as a blood-stained bulldog on a leash held by a devil-like figure resembling Netanyahu.

Protesters also demanded revenge for the killing of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes that triggered the regional war in late February.

A massive display towering over the gathering carried the message, "The people of Iran set the price." Black oil barrels arranged across a map of the world formed part of the installation, highlighting the impact of the conflict on global energy prices and the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

'Death To America': Iran Celebrates Trump's Midterm Setback

The demonstrations coincided with Iran's annual 'World Opposition to Arrogance Day', observed on November 4 to commemorate the storming of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979. The incident took place months after the Islamic Revolution overthrew the US-backed Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Students who seized the embassy had demanded the Shah's return from the US, where he was receiving cancer treatment. They held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days, leading to the severing of diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran in 1980. Iran has since marked the anniversary with rallies against what its authorities describe as Western arrogance.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei also issued a written statement on the occasion, taking aim at Washington and referring to the US as the 'Great Satan', while Israel is described by the Iranian state as the 'Little Satan'.

Reacting to the Republican Party's electoral setback, Mojtaba said, "We hope the dominance of the Great Satan declines even faster and more certainly."

He cautioned against expecting a change in Washington's approach towards Tehran following shifts in American political leadership, saying, "Those who harbor even a glimmer of hope that partisan changes within the U.S. hegemonic system will alter its actions, or imagine that concessions to the U.S. could soften its hostility toward Iran, are gravely mistaken."

The Iranian leader also warned that any fresh US military action would trigger a much wider conflict in the Middle East. "If such acts of aggression are repeated, the scale of war will become far broader," he said, adding, "Iran’s previous actions in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere were merely initial steps."

He further described the ongoing situation in the strategic waterway as evidence against America's military dominance, stating, "The current stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz clearly demonstrates the myth of U.S. invincibility."

'Americans Said No To War': Iran's Top Negotiator Reacts

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who is also leading Tehran's negotiations with Washington, welcomed the American election results, interpreting them as a public rejection of the war.

In a post on X, Qalibaf wrote, "Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message."

He further warned Washington against disregarding public sentiment in favour of powerful financial interests, saying, "If the U.S. government betrays its people’s will to serve international financiers and extortionists, it will realize that our opposition comes with a terrifying nightmare."

In another message, Qalibaf said, "Americans have cried out against war, and we support this message."

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts involving Qatar and Pakistan to negotiate an agreement between Iran and the US have made little progress, with concerns growing over a possible resumption of hostilities.

The conflict has also severely affected shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical energy routes. Iran's assertion of control over the waterway has disrupted maritime traffic, prompting Washington to impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Trump Admits Iran War And Fuel Prices Hurt Republicans

The Republican Party's poor performance in the US midterm elections has also prompted Trump to acknowledge the political consequences of his military campaign against Iran. The US President admitted that the conflict and the resulting increase in fuel prices contributed to the party's electoral losses.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump agreed with Vice President JD Vance's assessment that the military campaign had played a significant role in the setback, particularly because of its impact on gasoline prices.

"Well, I think it's largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit short term," Trump said when asked about Vance's remarks.

However, despite acknowledging the economic and political fallout, Trump remained unapologetic about his decision to launch military action against Iran. He maintained that preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons was more important than the immediate consequences of the conflict.

"But at the same time, if I had it to do again, I would have to do it again. Because long term, it's the only answer. You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon," he said.

Trump Defends Military Campaign, Says Iran's Defence Capabilities Destroyed

The US President also rejected suggestions that his administration should have taken a different approach to the war, claiming that American strikes had crippled Iran's military infrastructure.

"But I can tell you that as far as that war is concerned, I would have done nothing different. We have totally broken their military. The navy's gone. Their air force is gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone," Trump said.

Addressing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump claimed that oil shipments through the waterway had recovered significantly since the beginning of the conflict.

"The Iran thing, we had to do, and we continue to do it. We have tremendous oil flowing out of the Hormuz Strait now. At the beginning, there was none. And, probably, that's the primary reason – the price, not the war, the price (of oil)," he said.

While Trump has defended the military campaign as necessary for US national security, the midterm results have exposed the domestic political cost of the conflict, with Iran now using the Republican setback to reinforce its opposition to Washington.