Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Donald Trump’s closest allies and a prominent supporter of Israel, issued a lengthy statement on Tuesday about U.S. efforts toward Iran and the future of the Middle East. His comments came after recent reservations he voiced about Trump’s diplomatic push with Tehran.
After the initial details of the emerging U.S.-Iran understandings were published, Graham warned that the deal might not provide enough guarantees for Israel’s security and might fail to fully stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He did not retract that criticism explicitly, but in his new post he adopted a more positive tone and emphasized the wider strategic potential if the process leads to regional change.
Graham said that one of the most important things Trump said was his desire to expand the Abraham Accords and bring “historic stability and prosperity” to the Middle East. He argued that this is only possible if the region believes Iran has been weakened or has changed its behavior as a destabilizing actor that supports terrorist organizations.
He added that he sincerely hopes the coming negotiations, meant to close off once and for all the possibility that Iran will obtain nuclear weapons, will succeed. According to Graham, Trump’s actions have clearly weakened Iran and its proxies, removed their ability to mount another attack like October 7, and caused significant damage to their nuclear capabilities.
Graham concluded that the “ultimate achievement” in dealing with Iran would be a path to peace through expanding the Abraham Accords and deepening regional integration. If the current confrontation with Iran produces that outcome, he said, it would be remembered as one of the most successful military operations in American history.
