In an interview with Israel Hayom held shortly after the conclusion of the joint US-Israel military operation against Iran's nuclear facilities and the announcement of the ceasefire, senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham laid out a clear position: there is no room for illusions about the Iranian regime, no chance for a diplomatic agreement without recognition of Israel's right to exist, and now is the time to deepen the security alliance with Jerusalem.
"The key to any discussion with Iran is a firm demand for behavioral change," Graham asserted. "Any effort to negotiate with Iran should have as a starting point the requirement that the Iranian regime publicly acknowledge Israel's right to exist. I do not believe you can ever achieve a peaceful settlement with a regime who openly calls for your destruction no matter what you do. This is not a policy gap – it's a moral abyss."
While acknowledging that diplomacy may be part of the solution, Graham made clear there is no justification for easing up on Tehran: "I do not believe there's any intelligence to suggest that Iran is abandoning their ambition for a nuclear program. As a matter of fact, the chief of their atomic energy program said yesterday they're going back to rebuilding their nuclear program. I believe the military action by Israel and the United States substantially degraded Iran's enrichment and nuclear capabilities and should be applauded. However, I am looking for the regime to be out of the nuclear business in the future."
Graham insisted that Iran must be denied the ability to enrich uranium, even for civilian purposes: "I do not mind them having nuclear power, but the fuel for the reactors has to come outside of Iran. They cannot be trusted to enrich themselves. It's also important to deal with their sponsorship of terrorism throughout the region. If the regime is unwilling to publicly state they have changed their policies, I think it answers the question of their true intentions."
Asked about President Trump's recent statement suggesting a new nuclear deal might not be necessary, Graham responded: "I support pursuing a diplomatic solution, but only if it produces a clear result: a non-nuclear Iran, an Iran that no longer supports terrorism, and one that acknowledges Israel's right to exist. Without those three things, any deal is an illusion."
He reiterated that Israel must not be left to stand alone: "The first thing we need to do is help Israel on the weapons front. Not one American has ever died fighting Israel's war, but we have given Israel the ability to engage militarily in a position of strength, and we should continue that. If we waver in our support for Israel, I think it will be very difficult to convince the Arab world to go in partnership with the United States."
On the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant, Graham said: "This organization called the ICC is making a mockery of the Rome Statute and presents an existential threat to the safety of Israel. If international organizations that Israel is not a part of can indict, arrest, and imprison the leaders of the Jewish state for defending themselves, then that jeopardizes the very existence of Israel. I will continue to push for sanctions against the ICC for this outrageous behavior."
Graham expressed deep concern over what he called the systemic delegitimization of Israel on social media: "If you're a young person and you got your news through TikTok, you would see Israel as the bad guy. I live in the Bible Belt of the United States, where we see Israel as the good guy, because we get our news about Israel from the Bible. When people on college campuses chant 'from the river to the sea,' they're advocating for the destruction of the state of Israel. I often say these liberal elements on college campuses are either raving anti-Semites or dumb as a rock. For their sake, I hope they're dumb as a rock."
Graham conveyed a message of cautious optimism about the future of the region, emphasizing that the strike on Iran's nuclear facilities may have strengthened Israel's position among Arab states: "I believe Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations are ready to change the region and march toward the light away from the darkness. The Arab world feels just as threatened by the Ayatollah as anyone else. It is part of its agenda to dominate Sunni Islam and remake it in his own image as a radical Shiite. I think Lebanon and Syria could all come our way. Hezbollah being diminished, Hamas being destroyed, and Syria being liberated from the Russia-Iran alliance creates real possibility for a new region. The biggest impediment is Iran and its desire to keep the region in the darkness. I've never felt more hopeful. As we stand up to Iran and pledge to not live this way anymore, the region will change for the better."
He concluded with a clear message: "What keeps the region from peace – is Iran. The more we stand together against it, and Israel says, 'we're not going to live this way anymore' – the more hope there is for real change. Israelis should not be required to raise their children in bomb shelters – they should grow up in hope."
