Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called for direct military strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure during a Sunday interview on “Meet the Press,” stating that negotiations with the regime have hit a wall.
Speaking with host Kristen Welker following President Donald Trump’s summit in China, Graham argued that the current status quo is unsustainable and that further weakening Iran’s economy and military is the only way to force a deal.
“I’m calling to hurt this regime,” Graham said. “If you do the same old thing, you’re going to get the same result. Hurt them more. Maybe they’ll make a deal if you hurt them enough.”
Graham highlighted Iran’s fossil-fuel economy as its “soft underbelly” and explicitly targeted its primary revenue source. “I’d let the Iranians know, ‘If you keep terrorizing the region, Kharg Island, which is your source of revenue, will be in play,'” he said.
READ: Global Markets Tumble And Oil Surges As Trump Warns Tehran And Military Risks Rise
The comments follow a clip played during the broadcast from an interview where President Trump stated, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing, you cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all.”
When asked if he agreed with Trump’s disregard for the domestic financial impact—amid inflation reaching a three-year high and gas prices at a four-year high—Graham compared the situation to World War II.
“That’s his Churchill moment,” Graham said. “Whatever price we have to pay to beat Hitler, we will pay. Same with Iran.”
Welker noted that 70% of Americans in a new poll rate Trump poorly on the economy, asking Graham if preventing a nuclear Iran is worth losing the congressional midterms.
“It’s worth losing my job,” Graham responded. “If I had to give my job up to make sure Iran would never have a nuclear weapon, I would do it.”
Regarding Iran’s nuclear material, Graham dismissed the idea that U.S. ground forces are required to retrieve it. He detailed a conversation he had with the CIA director, proposing a containment strategy. “Draw a circle around where we know it’s at. Call it the circle of death. Anybody goes inside the circle is going to die until we can find a way to deal with this,” Graham said, adding that Iran’s enrichment capability has already been “obliterated at least for a couple years.”
READ: Clock Ticking For Iran: Trump Weighs Military Strikes As Strait Closure Squeezes Global Oil
Turning to Taiwan, Welker referenced recent congressional approval for billions of dollars in arms sales, contrasted with President Trump’s recent refusal to commit to supporting the island. In a clip, Trump told interviewer Bret Baier regarding the weapon shipments, “I may do it, I may not do it.”
Graham defended Trump’s position, stating, “Trump says, President Trump ‘It’ll be up to me and me alone.’ And he’s right about that.”
However, Graham announced that he and Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska are introducing “hard-hitting pre-invasion sanctions” to deter a Chinese assault. “I want China to know: If you invade Taiwan, try to take Taiwan by force, here’s what happens to your economy. The full weight and measure of sanctions and tariffs from the United States will kick in on day one,” Graham said.
The interview concluded with domestic politics, focusing on Senator Bill Cassidy’s primary loss in Louisiana. Cassidy voted to convict Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial. READ: Trump’s Long-Game Revenge: Impeachment Voter Ousted In Louisiana Primary Shattering Old GOP Guard
Graham stated he liked Cassidy but called the defeat a direct consequence of opposing the president.
“Bill Cassidy lost because he tried to destroy Trump,” Graham said, noting that Representative Thomas Massie faces a similar fate in his upcoming primary for opposing the legislative agenda. “You can disagree with President Trump, but if you try to destroy him, you’re going to lose. Because this is the party of Donald Trump.”
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