Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei mocked the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump in a post he wrote in English on his X account on Saturday evening, Nov. 7, days after the Republican Party lost control of both chambers of Congress in the U.S. midterm elections.
Addressing Washington, Rezaei wrote: “You lost the war and the election. Vance admitted defeat, Rubio is heading out, Hegseth is about to be fired, and the CENTCOM commander is now a podcast host!” He continued: “So, exactly whom in Washington should we deliver this message to? Start a war, and you will face a devastating response.”
Rezaei published the message through his @ir_rezaee account without providing details or evidence to support his claims about the U.S. officials.
Vance, Hegseth and the “podcast”
Rezaei did not explain what he meant by saying that U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance had “admitted defeat.” On Wednesday, Nov. 4, Vance wrote on X, explaining the Republicans’ defeat, that “the reason we lost is the war.” Rezaei himself also said on Oct. 31 that he had seen a message from Vance, describing its tone as “completely different” from previous U.S. correspondence, as Al Jazeera reported.
Regarding U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump told reporters on Wednesday, in response to a question about whether he was considering replacing him: “No, I think he’s doing a very good job.” The Defense Department also said Hegseth was “100 percent committed” to leading the department until the end of Trump’s term on Jan. 20, 2029. Rezaei provided no support for his claim that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was “heading out.” Rubio said Thursday in an interview with The New York Times that working with Trump until the end of his term “has always been my plan.”
As for the phrase “podcast host,” U.S. Central Command launched a podcast titled “Inside CENTCOM” on Thursday, Nov. 5. Its commander, Adm. Brad Cooper, appeared in the first episode, which lasted about 12 minutes, The Daily Beast reported. On the same day as Rezaei’s post, Cooper announced the formation of a new task force called “Iron Gate,” based in Tampa, Florida, to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons and sanctioned materials across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea, Anadolu reported.
Election defeat celebrated by Tehran officials
The Democratic Party had seized control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the Nov. 3 elections. Trump acknowledged in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that the war with Iran was “part of” the reasons his party lost, while stressing that he would make the same decision again.
Iranian officials celebrated the results. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Americans had “said no to war,” while Rezaei wrote in an earlier post this week that “the Iranian nation inflicted a strategic defeat on Trump on the battlefield and in the Strait of Hormuz, and a political defeat in Washington,” warning that “anyone who confronts Iran will pay the price.”
Escalation on the ground and regional mediation
Rezaei’s post came amid escalation on the ground. Trump said Friday evening that his country was “not fighting” Iran and described the strikes on Qeshm Island as “small,” while Washington offered a reward of up to $20 million for information about Iran’s nuclear program. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it was ready for any change in its nuclear doctrine if the leadership decided to make one.
Diplomatic efforts are continuing. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein proposed on Friday forming a committee of the region’s foreign ministers to visit Tehran and Washington in search of peaceful solutions. He made the proposal during a call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, who presented his country’s vision for resuming negotiations, including a timetable for launching talks, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reviewing the understandings reached in Pakistan, according to a statement from Iraq’s Foreign Ministry.
Araghchi said Saturday that over 48 hours he had contacted 12 foreign ministers, including his counterparts in Türkiye, Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also stressed the need to continue dialogue and avoid further escalation during a call with Trump on Friday, according to a statement from the Amiri Diwan.
Rezaei visited Moscow this week, where Russian President Vladimir Putin received him at the Kremlin on Thursday. Rezaei delivered a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, whose contents were not disclosed. Rezaei, who led the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from 1981 to 1997, has served as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council since last August, succeeding Mohammad Bagher Zolqadr.
Photos: Official Kremlin website and X
