Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Donald Trump’s closest allies in the Senate and a longtime supporter of Israel, said on CBS on Sunday that he spoke with the former U.S. president for 4.5 hours on Friday. Graham said he came away with a clear view of what could follow if diplomacy fails with Iran.
According to Graham, if the current deal collapses, Trump would move to take control of the Strait of Hormuz by force. He said the United States would manage the waterway, charge those passing through it to help pay for the operation, and push to expand the Abraham Accords in 2026. Graham said Saudi Arabia would be brought into the accords, which he called “the biggest change in 5,000 years in the Middle East.” He also warned that if Iran challenged U.S. control of the strait, “we will destroy them.”
Graham, who is soon facing reelection to the Senate, said the same approach would apply more broadly to Tehran’s regional actions. He argued that the next phase of U.S. policy would combine a major diplomatic push with a much harsher military response to attacks by Iran and its proxies.
He concluded that the goal would be to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords and end the Arab-Israeli conflict in 2026. Graham added that if Iran keeps using Hezbollah to attack Israel and Lebanon, the new policy would be a direct strike on Iran.
