Iran's supreme leader said 'US's collapse has accelerated.' Was he talking about the midterms?

The remark was part of a larger statement about the Iran war and America's role in global politics. Published Nov. 10, 2026 Claim: Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was referring to the U.S. midterm results when he said, "The process of the US's collapse has accelerated." Rating: ContextWhile Khamenei did post to X that "the process of the US's collapse has accelerated," that remark was part of a larger statement about the Iran war and America's role in global politics. In the days following the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, in which Democrats gained comfortable majorities in both the House and Senate, some people on social media highlighted what they claimed were comments made by Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei about the Democrats' victories. For example, one Facebook post (archived) claimed, "Iran's leader celebrates Democrats' win." The post included a picture of Khamenei with the quote, "The process of the US's collapse has accelerated." Other posts claiming Khamenei said "the process of the US's collapse has accelerated" in reference to the midterm elections spread on X (archived) and elsewhere on Facebook (archived). Some Snopes readers searched the site to see whether the claim was true. Khamenei posted the remark to X (archived) on Nov. 4, the day following the midterm elections, as part of a larger statement focused on the Iran war. Aside from the date of the post, there was no context that supported the claim that the quote was about the midterm elections. Therefore, we've rated this claim false. The supreme leader of Iran uses an X account to make statements in English. On Nov. 4, Khamenei made an statement about Iran's "National Day of Fighting Global Arrogance" (archived) through a series of X posts. According to news agencies supported by Iran's government, Mehr News Agency and Tasnim News Agency, this holiday commemorates several events from Iran's history that occurred on Nov. 4. Most notably, the day commemorates the student takeover of the U.S. embassy on Nov. 4, 1979. Near the beginning of his statement, Khamenei wrote (archived): "Nov. 4 this year, Iranians understand their stance toward the criminal US more clearly and unequivocally than ever before. Nevertheless, reviewing the reasons of US's hostility – and the Iranian nation's firm resistance to them – serves as a guiding light for the path ahead." Later, Khamenei wrote (archived) that "The situation in the Persian Gulf, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, has shattered the myth of the US invincibility." Those posts, plus several others praising the military successes of Iran and its allies in the Middle East, led to a post in which Khamenei said (archived), "Today, the declining power and hegemony of the United States has suffered an irreversible fall in both dimensions of its power: its hard military power and its international soft power." That post was the one immediately preceding the post in which Khamenei said "The process of the US's collapse has accelerated." Khamenei's statement was translated differently on the website for Iran's supreme leader. The quotes about the collapse of the U.S. and its declining power are in the same paragraph, and the collapse's acceleration is framed as something that has actively been happening: "Today, because of the arrogant powers' self-inflicted disgrace, America's power and domination have suffered an irreversible decline. This applies to both its hard military power and its international soft power, and this collapse has been accelerating." The very next X post (archived) after the one about the collapse of the U.S. can be reasonably construed as referencing the midterm elections. However, the post was a warning to Iranians that the U.S. would be hostile to Iran no matter which party is in power: If there are still those who entertain the slightest hope that the hegemonic system may change behavior or shifts in its political parties may bring about change, or that by making concessions to the US, they can persuade it to abandon its hostility, they're gravely mistaken. No other posts in Khamenei's series of Nov. 4 posts appeared be related to the U.S. midterm elections, though Iran's chief negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf did directly refer to the results of the midterms. According to The Associated Press, he wrote on social media, "Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also reacted to the U.S. midterm election results, saying, "The American people have now sent you a clear message. But if you continue to ignore reality, disregard the lessons of history and persist in this dangerous course, the consequences of this grave miscalculation will go far beyond anything you have witnessed so far." For further reading, Snopes previously confirmed that a Time magazine depicted Trump with an "I Voted" stick covering his mouth after the Republicans' midterm losses. Sources "Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_Ir) on X." X (Formerly Twitter), x.com/MKhamenei_ir. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.Becatoros, Elena, and John Seewer. "Iranian Officials Celebrate US Midterm Elections Rebuke to Trump." AP News, 4 Nov. 2026, apnews.com/article/us-iran-midterm-election-f3c48a92df2bd8a658d3e704a7291d11. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026."Iran Marks Natl. Day of Fighting Global Arrogance Amid Threat." Mehr News Agency, 4 Nov. 2026, en.mehrnews.com/news/249154/Iran-marks-Natl-Day-of-Fighting-Global-Arrogance-amid-threat. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026."Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman: You Have No Choice but to Recognize That Iran Is Invincible." Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 4 Nov. 2026, irangov.ir/detail/492589. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026."Iranians Hold Rallies to Mark National Day of Fighting Against Global Arrogance." Tasnim News Agency, 4 Nov. 2026, www.tasnimnews.ir/en/news/2026/11/04/3740043/iranians-hold-rallies-to-mark-national-day-of-fighting-against-global-arrogance. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.Khamenei, Ayatollah Mojtaba. "If There Are Still Those Who Entertain the Slightest Hope That the Hegemonic System May Change Behavior or Shifts In." X, 4 Nov. 2026, x.com/MKhamenei_ir/status/2117971877733757136. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.---. "Nov. 4 This Year, Iranians Understand Their Stance Toward the Criminal US More Clearly and Unequivocally Than Ever Before. Nevertheless,." X, 4 Nov. 2026, x.com/MKhamenei_ir/status/2117960635837542508. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.---. "The Important Message of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei, on the Occasion of the National." X, 4 Nov. 2026, x.com/MKhamenei_ir/status/2117922452395426144. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.---. "The Process of the US's Collapse Has Accelerated.." X, 4 Nov. 2026, x.com/MKhamenei_ir/status/2117970619077976541. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.---. "The Situation in the Persian Gulf, Particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, Has Shattered the Myth of the US Invincibility.." X, 4 Nov. 2026, x.com/MKhamenei_ir/status/2117949994900808011. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.---. "Today, the Declining Power and Hegemony of the United States Has Suffered an Irreversible Fall in Both Dimensions of Its." X, 4 Nov. 2026, x.com/MKhamenei_ir/status/2117969446379950214. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.Office of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution. "In a Message Marking National Day of Struggle Against Global Arrogance, Leader Stressed." Leader.Ir, 4 Nov. 2026, www.leader.ir/en/content/28945/In-a-Message-Marking-National-Day-of-Struggle-Against-Global-Arrogance-Leader-Stressed. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026. By Emery Winter Emery Winter is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and previously worked for TEGNA'S VERIFY national fact-checking team. They enjoy sports and video games. Article Tags