Iranian hardliners, citing Trump's midterm election setback, demand the US pay a higher price, and may harden their negotiating stance further.

November 7 - According to CNN, after Trump's Republican Party suffered a major defeat in the U.S. midterm elections, Iranian hardliners believe the U.S. government is under domestic political pressure and are seizing the opportunity to demand that Washington pay a greater price before ending the war against Iran, and oppose the Iranian negotiating team making concessions to the United States.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned this week that no hint of surrender should be shown. Iranian hardline media have called for continued pressure on the United States, arguing that Trump should not be allowed to easily end the war by hastily reaching an agreement. U.S. Vice President Vance previously acknowledged that one of the reasons for the Republican Party's election defeat was the war against Iran.

An Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group pointed out that the election results may further strengthen Tehran's negotiating position, making it even less willing to make concessions to the United States on the nuclear program. Iran had previously proposed seven conditions, including ending the war on all fronts, obtaining compensation, U.S. military withdrawal and lifting sanctions, and demanded that the Strait of Hormuz be opened only after these conditions are met.

Although Iranian hardliners publicly advocate continued confrontation, analysts believe that Iran's leadership still hopes to end the war through negotiations while retaining stronger regional deterrence and strategic leverage. As military operations on both sides have reached a stalemate, negotiation progress has been limited, and the risk of the conflict escalating again still exists.