Amid fears of fresh US strikes on Iran after the midterm elections, Tehran has warned that renewed all-out conflict would benefit no one, saying the onus is on Washington to avert such a scenario.

After United States Democrats won majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday, President Donald Trump acknowledged that the war with Iran had contributed to his Republican Party's stunning setback.

"I think a part of it was Iran, but at the same time, people understood the importance of what I've done with Iran," Trump told Fox News.

READ MORE: Qeshm Island in Iran comes under attack

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Wednesday that US voters had sent a clear message of "no to war".

"Whether driven by conscience or cost-of-living concerns, Americans said no to war, and we endorse this message," he posted on X.

In a speech on Tuesday, Ghalibaf said regional countries "should know that just as Iran stands ready for battle with its finger on the trigger, it has delivered a powerful and rational response to the US".

"The ball is now in America's court to prevent war," he said.

Trump confirmed late on Tuesday that the US had carried out "limited defensive strikes" on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Seeking to play down speculation of an immediate follow-up strike after the pivotal vote, Trump said: "We're ready. We're locked and loaded if we need to go, but there may be no reason for it."

In a written statement on Wednesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Washington's hostility toward Tehran will not change through partisan shifts or any concessions to the US, adding that those who believe otherwise are "seriously mistaken".

He also warned that if the US did choose further military action, the scope of the war would widen, without elaborating.

Mediation efforts led by Qatar are continuing to avert a return to war, which began on Feb 28 when the US and Israel launched strikes across Iran. The conflict has shut down the vital Strait of Hormuz, sent oil and gas prices soaring and caused extensive damage to military, civilian and energy infrastructure across the Gulf.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that resuming fighting would not benefit anyone. He said the government was trying to resolve the crisis "through dialogue" after Khamenei granted it powers to discuss "issues that he had previously considered off-limits", without elaborating.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that the two sides remain far from a ceasefire deal. Iran's Foreign Ministry said Tehran was entering negotiations with "complete pessimism" and would approach any diplomatic process with caution.

Iran insists that the US must lift its naval blockade and meet its demands before an agreement can be reached. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Washington's response to Tehran's demands was "unconvincing" following the strikes on Qeshm.

ALSO READ: Iran's Khamenei warns against pinning hope on partisan changes in US

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that Trump "leaned toward" launching a large attack after the midterms but had not yet decided.

Separately, Trump said on Tuesday that the US would end a decade-long security assistance pact with Israel, which would have provided $3.8 billion in annual aid until 2028.

Trump said Israel was "fine" with the decision to end the assistance, which began in 2019 under an agreement brokered three years earlier by his predecessor, Barack Obama. "We'll help Israel if they need it," he added.

Contact the writers at cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn