U.S. election results, a sharp setback for Trump, draw reaction from around the world

Updated on: November 4, 2026 / 8:59 AM EST / CBS News

The Iranian regime was quick to label the resounding losses for President Trump's Republican Party in the midterm elections as evidence of American voters rejecting the costly war he launched with Israel more than eight months ago.

Spain's leader called it a sign of a global, right-wing populist "wave" crumbling, and Russia acknowledged that it "could complicate relations with the U.S."

Below is a look at those statements and other reactions from foreign leaders and figures, including some hopeful leaders as elections loom in other countries.

A statement attributed to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Wednesday made it clear that Tehran is not expecting the outcome of the U.S. elections to change Washington's approach more than eight months into its war with Iran:

"If there are still people who harbor even the slightest hope for a change in behavior or for party and factional shifts within the system of domination, or who believe that by making concessions to America they can dissuade it from hostility toward the Iranian nation, they are gravely mistaken," the statement published on Khamenei's official website said.

Earlier, Iran's chief negotiator said…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/