Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said during an interview over the weekend that if Iran escalates war against Israel through its proxies in the region that he would introduce a measure in the U.S. Senate to allow for direct U.S. military action against Iran.
Graham made the remarks during a Sunday interview with Kristen Welker on NBC News’s “Meet The Press” when asked about what Israel’s goals should be when going into Gaza.
Graham noted that Israel was doing everything it could to get civilians to leave before conducting its ground offensive to root out Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organization that was responsible for murdering more than 1,300 Israelis in last week’s unprecedented attacks.
Welker asked Graham if he had spoken to the Biden administration about his idea of crippling Iran’s oil industry through military strikes.
“Here’s my message: If Hezbollah, which is a proxy of Iran, launches a massive attack on Israel, I would consider that a threat to the state of Israel, existential in nature,” he said. “I’ll introduce a resolution in the United States Senate to allow military action by the United States, in conjunction with Israel, to knock Iran out of the oil business. Iran, if you escalate this war, we’re coming for you.”
When asked if he was poised to declare war on Iran, Graham responded: “I am poised to use military force to destroy the source of funding for Hamas and Hezbollah.”
“The idea that Iran read about this operation in the paper or on television is laughable. 93% of Hezbollah and Hamas’s money comes from Iran,” he said. “They’re the source of the problem. They’re the great evil. So, if Hezbollah escalates against Israel, it will be because Iran told them to. Then Iran, you’re in the crosshairs of the United States and Israel.”
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