US Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday accused Iran of involvement in the Oct 7 Hamas onslaught that triggered a Gaza counter-offensive by Israel and warned that any escalation of the war could exact a cost from Tehran.
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"We're here today to tell Iran: 'We're watching you. If this war grows, it's coming to your backyard,'" Graham said during a visit to Tel Aviv, without elaborating on what that meant.
Video: US Senator Graham claims Iran behind Oct 7 Hamas attack on Israel / Reuters
"The idea that this happened without Iranian involvement is laughable," he said.
The Republican lawmaker, who is visiting Israel as part of a bi-partisan Senate delegation that also visited Saudi Arabia, told Israel Hayom that "the goal right now is one. To destroy Hamas. Israel needs to be given the time it needs to do this; it will take as long as it takes. This is so that Israel can protect its people and so that the Palestinians, whom Hamas is terrorizing, can have a better life."
Q: Hezbollah is already provoking Israel on the northern border. In the event of a second front, should the US intervene?
"If there is a serious attack by Hezbollah on Israel, my recommendation would be to go to the source, and the source is Iran. They have American blood on their hands. 93% of Hamas's funding comes from Iran. I believe they instigated this attack to prevent the normalization that was expected to happen between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Hezbollah is coordinated with Iran, so we came to Israel to tell Iran that we are watching them and monitoring them. If Hezbollah enters the fray, this war will enter Iran's backyard. There won't be two fronts; there will be three."
Q: You have been one of the main driving forces for normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Is there still a chance for a breakthrough in the coming weeks and months?
"I am convinced that Iran initiated this war to prevent a breakthrough. But for Iran to fail, Israel must destroy Hamas. And for peace with Saudi Arabia not to fail, Israel needs to destroy Hamas. I came to Israel to tell the Arab world that we can make peace if we defeat Hamas."
Q: Can we really distinguish between uninvolved Palestinian civilians and Hamas? After all, this organization is very popular among the Palestinian public, receiving high levels of support in polls, winning elections in student bodies, and of course, winning the 2006 legislative elections.
"We won't know the answer to that question until Hamas is defeated. I assume you also know Palestinians who do not support terrorism. So, we will get an answer to your question after the war. Will the Palestinians take advantage of the opportunity to give themselves hope for a better life?"
Q: You met with all of Israel's leadership, the prime minister, the leader of the Opposition, and others. After the major failure two weeks ago, can the people of Israel trust anyone?
"Look, we had 9/11 and the attack on Pearl Harbor. What you need now is to protect your people and move forward. The most important thing we came to say today to Israel is that we, Democrats and Republicans, came here to make it clear to the world and to Iran that we have Israel's back."
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