The ultra-hawkish US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) declared in an interview on Monday that he will be with Israel “until our dying day,” as he is urging the US and Israel to continue pursuing regime change in Iran.
“I believe with all my heart and soul, if the regime in Iran still stands when this is over, we’ve made a mistake,” Graham said in an appearance on Fox News.
“To our friends in Israel, God bless you. I am with you in every way. To all the anti-Semites, to all the isolationists, I don’t– forget it. I’m not with you. I’m with Israel. I will be with Israel until our dying day. They’re the best ally we could hope for,” the senator added.
Graham was one of the biggest proponents for launching the war with Iran and spent the months leading up to it making the case to President Trump. He also made frequent visits to Israel in the weeks before, and according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, coached Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on how to sell the war to President Trump.
Graham also spent time meeting with the head of the Israeli Mossad and other Israeli intelligence officials. “They’ll tell me things our own government won’t tell me,” he told the Journal.
The South Carolina senator is also calling for the US to join in on Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and has said Cuba is the next target after Iran. “Free Cuba. Stay tuned – the liberation of Cuba is upon us, it’s just a matter of time now,” he said on Sunday. “We’re marching through the world, we’re cleaning out the bad guys, we’re gonna have relationships with new people that will make us prosperous and safe.”
Graham has been critical of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states for not joining in on the attacks against Iran. “Americans are dying, and the US is spending billions to dislodge the terrorist Iranian regime that threatens the region. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia seems to be issuing statements and doing things in the background that are marginally helpful, but unwilling to participate in military operations to end the reign of terror coming out of Iran,” he said in a post on X on Monday. “Hopefully this changes soon. If not, consequences will follow.”
