Sen
By Sammy,
Sen. Lindsey Graham said in Tel Aviv on Monday that the Iranian regime could be nearing collapse, declaring, "We're on the verge of eliminating the greatest state sponsor of terrorism in the region," and adding, "We're in for weeks, not months." He argued that President Donald Trump may soon test Tehran with firm timelines, saying, "President Trump is very good at making sure people don't play him by giving them deadlines. I think you may see that now with Iran." Graham said Trump is pursuing diplomacy "to find a way to end this regime diplomatically that will advance our national security interests," while keeping the military option available. "I think President Trump is looking to see which line will catch the biggest fish," he said, stressing that there is "no light between President Trump and Bibi about what to do and how to do it," adding, "That's what the president told me."
Despite expressing hope for negotiations, Graham cast doubt on Tehran's reliability, saying he is "hopeful that diplomacy may prevail yet," but that Iran is "prone to cheat," and that "based on the past, no," he does not believe a diplomatic solution is likely, though he is willing to give it a chance. Referring to the USS Gerald R. Ford moving toward the region, he remarked, "I don't think they're just going for better weather." If talks fail, he said, "we will engage in the great endeavor of supporting the Iranian people, demanding their freedom and the end of their oppression." He described the regime as "weak" and said it "will collapse with sustained pressure," adding, "To anybody who believes the ayatollah can withstand all of this - you're wrong." While acknowledging risks to American forces and potential missile fire at Israel, he argued that "the risk associated with that is far less than the risk associated with blinking and pulling the plug and not helping the \[Iranian\] people as we promised."
Graham also addressed Gaza, saying Hamas is "playing a game" and that "it's either going to take pressure from the region to get a monster to disarm, or Israel is going to have to go back in and wipe them out." He questioned whether reconstruction can succeed "if right down the road there's a neighborhood controlled by Hamas." The senator met Monday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with other senior Israeli officials, as part of his visit. He also voiced support for gradually shifting U.S. military assistance into a deeper strategic partnership, saying, "Rather than writing a check, he wants to create a partnership. ... I like that idea." On President Trump's criticism of President Isaac Herzog regarding a potential pardon for Netanyahu, Graham declined to comment, saying, "I'll leave that to President Herzog."
Topics: Iran, Gaza, Missile Defense & Alerts
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.