Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Donald Trump’s closest allies, said on Sunday that the United States should take over the Strait of Hormuz by force if diplomacy with Iran fails. In an interview with CBS, Graham argued that current efforts to reach an agreement with Tehran are likely to collapse, and he presented what he described as Trump’s fallback plan.
"We will try to find a diplomatic solution, but I think it will fail," Graham said, adding, "The big question is what happens after that failure." He said he spent about four and a half hours with Trump on Friday and that his remarks reflect the president’s thinking. According to Graham, Washington would not limit itself to sanctions. "If this deal fails, President Trump will take control of the Strait of Hormuz by force," he said. "The United States will manage the strait and collect a fee from every vessel that passes through it. That money will fund the military operation itself."
Graham also issued a direct threat to Tehran: "If Iran challenges American control of the Strait of Hormuz, we will simply destroy them." He added that if Iran keeps attacking Israel and Lebanon, the U.S. will strike Iran directly. Beyond the military threats, he said Trump wants to expand the Abraham Accords, bring Saudi Arabia into normalization, and end the Arab-Israeli conflict in 2026.
His comments came as Vice President J.D. Vance was meeting senior Iranian officials at a resort near Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. The talks included Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with Pakistan and Qatar acting as active intermediaries.
