Following the announcement of the results of the US congressional midterm elections and the Republicans' heavy defeat, the key phrase “the need to end the war with Iran” has become a common theme in the political discourse of both Republican and Democratic officials. The Republicans' setback stemmed less from a surge in public support for the Democrats than from widespread public dissatisfaction with Trump and his policies. From Trump and Vance, who have attributed the electoral defeat to the war with Iran, to candidates from both parties, whether elected or defeated, who describe ending the war as a public demand, all have, in one way or another, stressed the need for a change of course. Vance has even spoken of the emergence of a 2028 election campaign centered on ending the war and transforming US policy toward the Zionist regime.
At the same time, many foreign officials and Western media outlets have also pointed to the war's impact on the US elections and stressed the need for diplomacy. Mediation efforts have gained momentum, with Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman taking part and consultations expanding to China and Russia. The visit by the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council to Moscow and his meeting with Putin should also be viewed in this context. These developments are, on the one hand, signs of the decline of Trumpism and, on the other, a reflection of global realities and the consequences of warmongering against Iran. The fundamental issue, however, is that ending the war does not mean changing Iran's behavior. It means implementing Iran's conditions, punishing the aggressor, and securing the country's rights and national interests.
Electoral Defeat: A Sign of Trumpism's Decline and the Need for a Change in the Global Order
Trump sought to export his warmongering and mercenary-minded worldview to the rest of the world. He even resorted to intervention and coups in Latin America and Europe in an effort to change governments. But the American people's vote dealt a decisive blow to these ideas. Public reaction to Trump's request that voters remember his image as they cast their ballots showed that this very image — that of a president who sacrificed his country's interests for those of the Zionist regime and played a role in its crimes — had become a factor in the Republicans' defeat.
From Vance's remarks about launching a 2028 election campaign centered on avoiding war and distancing the US from Israel to Republican plans to draw a clear line between themselves and Trump, all these developments demonstrate the depth of this transformation. The demand to end the war and return to diplomacy is therefore not merely a political choice; it stems from the reality of Trumpism's decline. Finally moving beyond this model also requires global convergence toward the emergence of a new order and an end to unilateralism.
War Crimes: A Cost That Goes Beyond Electoral Defeat in the US
Before and after the US elections, various countries and international organizations have stressed the need to end the war and return to diplomacy. The joint warmongering of the US and the Zionist regime has had severe consequences not only for the parties directly involved and West Asia, but also for the global economy. Rising fuel costs and the increased cost of global trade are just some of these consequences.
However, before asking Iran to accept diplomatic and mediation proposals, a strategic consensus must be forged on punishing the leaders of the US and the Zionist regime for crimes against humanity and for bearing responsibility for the current state of the world. Reducing the punishment of Trump and Netanyahu to electoral defeat is to diminish the scale of crimes that are incompatible with every principle of international law and human rights. The blood of the martyred Leader and the Minab schoolchildren cannot be avenged through such minimal measures.
Iran's Resistance: The Defeat of the System of Domination on Multiple Fronts
The fundamental point in the admissions of defeat in the face of Iran is that this defeat is not confined to Trump personally. Rather, the US and the unilateralist capitalist system have failed to achieve their objectives. Reducing this reality to the electoral defeat of Trump and Netanyahu amounts to whitewashing the crimes of the system of domination and ignoring its inability to achieve its global objectives, particularly with regard to Iran.
Nor was this defeat the product of the shifting balance of power among the world's major powers or competition between international blocs. It was inflicted by the will and indigenous strength of a nation that has been the target of America's multilayered hostility and animosity for decades. Despite claiming victory, Trump has repeatedly acknowledged that China and Russia did not help Iran and that Iran's capabilities stem from its own internal resources.
From this perspective, the model the world should follow is resistance rooted in domestic capabilities, the development of regional capacities, and opposition to the system of domination. The US defeat has military, economic, social, diplomatic, and international dimensions. Most importantly, it was brought about in the face of the will of the Iranian people, who have continued to take to the streets for months.
Seven Conditions: The Real Measure of Sincerity in Ending the War
Although Vance and other US officials speak of ending the war and achieving peace, and Iran has never abandoned the negotiating table, mediation efforts by China and Russia, which emphasize Iran's legitimate rights and the need to hold the aggressor accountable, can be assessed within this same framework. These efforts include the visit to China by Bagheri, deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and the visit to Russia by Major General Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and his meeting with Putin.
The truth is that ending the war only has meaning when it moves beyond words and slogans and is accompanied by practical action. Vance cannot speak simultaneously of negotiations and the need to end the war while Trump declares his readiness to take military action and the US Treasury continues to impose new sanctions.
A genuine end to the war requires the fulfillment of specific conditions and prerequisites. At the center of these is the full and unconditional implementation of Iran's seven conditions, verification that they have been carried out, and credible guarantees to prevent any repetition of the aggression. Until these conditions are met, the phrase “ending the war” will be nothing more than a claim intended to mislead public opinion and create miscalculations among Iranian decision-makers.
Those who claim to be distancing themselves from Trumpism must demonstrate in practice that they accept Iran's conditions. At the same time, they must pursue the punishment of criminals such as Trump and Netanyahu for crimes against humanity and violations of international law, because electoral defeat is no substitute for justice and accountability for crimes.
