TEHRAN/WASHINGTON — Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Wednesday warned that neither partisan changes in the US nor concessions to Washington would end US hostility toward the Iranian nation.

"If there are still individuals who pin even the slightest hope on a shift in the US behavior, or partisan changes within the hegemonic system, or imagine that by granting concessions to the US, they can dissuade it from its hostility toward the Iranian nation, they are gravely mistaken," Khamenei said in a message to mark the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran.

He said the only way to achieve a state of "absolute deterrence" is to continue to make Iran stronger, noting that "on this path, (national) solidarity and unity, and social cohesion serve as the fundamental pillars of success."

The supreme leader said that should the "acts of aggression" be repeated, Iran's fight will expand to encompass a much broader scope.

Democrats are projected to flip control of the US Senate after winning several key races in battleground states, securing control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, election forecasting agency Decision Desk HQ reported late Tuesday.

Reacting to the US election's results in a post on social media platform X, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Wednesday, "Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message."

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Meanwhile, Iranians on Wednesday took to the streets across the country to mark the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran.

The rallies were held concurrently in Tehran and 900 other cities and villages, drawing participants from various walks of life, including officials and military commanders, according to Iranian media.

In Tehran, the marchers strongly condemned the "flagrant US-Israeli aggression" against Iran and its sovereignty and people, and called for revenge for those killed during the 40-day war, according to the official news agency IRNA.

In an address to the marchers, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani said the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz hinges on the US commitment to its obligations and implementation of practical measures.

The event commemorates Nov 4, 1979, when Iranian students stormed the US embassy in Tehran and seized dozens of hostages in a standoff that lasted more than a year.

Iran's IRGC says 4 'violating' tankers exploded

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that four "violating" oil tankers that sought to cross the Strait of Hormuz via the "forbidden" route south of the waterway exploded after hitting naval mines.

The explosions set the vessels on fire, while two other ships attempting to cross the strait were also stopped, according to a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet, Sepah News.

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In a separate operation on Wednesday, the IRGC said its air defense forces shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz at 4:30 am local time (0100 GMT), the 56th MQ-9 Reaper drone intercepted by its air defense forces in recent months.

The IRGC warned that its forces were ready to deliver the "final blow" to Israel and the US.

On Tuesday, the IRGC said its air defense forces struck two US low-cost uncrewed combat attack system drones over the southern Iranian port city of Bandar-e Khamir earlier in the day.

Vance blames Iran war for Republican losses in midterm election

US Vice-President JD Vance said Wednesday that the war against Iran was the reason Republicans lost in the midterm elections.

"The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," he wrote in a post on X.

His remarks came hours after US President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Tuesday night that the war in Iran was partially to blame for widespread Republican losses in the midterm elections. Trump, however, said that he did not regret launching the war earlier this year.

"Iran was a piece of it," he said in a phone interview with the WSJ when asked whether the war contributed to Republicans' poor performance in the election.

He added that rising oil prices, rather than the war itself, were the biggest political liability.

In his latest post, Vance cited a pollster who had accurately predicted the election results, saying many voters who supported Trump in 2024 were angry and planned to vote for Democrats. The pollster asked former Republican voters what would bring them back to the party.

The top four responses were ending the war, focusing on the cost of living and inflation, putting the US first, and changing Washington's relationship with Israel.

Democrats are projected to take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, election forecasting agency Decision Desk HQ reported late Tuesday. Several media outlets described the outcome as a "blue wave" or even a "blue tsunami."

According to NBC News' latest projections, Democrats are expected to win at least 54 Senate seats, a net gain of seven from their pre-election total. They flipped several key battleground states, including Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio and Maine.

NBC News also projected that Democrats would win at least 238 House seats, a gain of 32, with the total expected to rise as vote counting continues.