South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham declared Sunday morning that “the mothership of terrorism is sinking” following a massive joint military operation by the United States and Israel. Speaking on Meet the Press, Graham confirmed the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and predicted the total collapse of the current Iranian leadership.
The Senator’s comments come as air strikes, which began Saturday, continued into Monday morning, targeting military and nuclear sites across Iran.
President Trump confirmed Saturday that “a large amount of leadership” was killed in the strikes, while Israeli officials reported at least 40 military commanders dead as of Sunday morning.
“The captain is dead,” Graham told Kristen Welker. “The largest state sponsor of terrorism, Iran, is close to collapsing. The mothership that fuels the proxies is in sinking mode.”
READ: U.S. Terror Alert High After Texas Shooting, Unvetted Influx From 170 Countries Under Biden Admin
Graham framed the strikes not as a war of occupation, but as a surgical necessity to remove imminent threats. He cited Iran’s development of ballistic missiles and their persistent pursuit of nuclear weapons as the primary justifications.
“The goal of this operation is to change the threat, not the regime,” Graham said. “When this operation’s over, no matter who takes over in Iran, they will not have ballistic missiles to hurt us, Israel, or the region.”
As the strikes continued, Iran launched retaliatory attacks across the Middle East.
Reports emerged of a high-rise in Bahrain being hit, a strike against an iconic hotel in Dubai, and civilians in Qatar fleeing incoming missiles near U.S. military bases.
In response to the escalation, President Trump posted a warning Sunday morning: “If they strike back today, we will hit them with a force that has never been seen before.”
When pressed on the potential for a “forever war,” Graham was dismissive, stating that the U.S. would not put “boots on the ground” and that Arab neighbors would likely join the effort to stabilize the region. “The Arab world is living for the day that Iran is no more,” he said.
Graham also noted that he had already been in contact with the Saudi Crown Prince regarding a post-Ayatollah transition.
READ: Friendly Fire: Six U.S. Airmen Rescued After Kuwaiti Defenses Down Three F-15s
He expressed a desire to move toward normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel once the “irritant” of the Iranian regime is removed.
“Taking the regime down is a big deal. Normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel is a historic deal. That’s where I’m going to spend my time and energy,” Graham said.
Responding to critics within his own party who argue the strikes contradict an “America First” policy of avoiding foreign wars, Graham argued that neutralizing a “religious Nazi” who wishes to destroy the U.S. is the definition of putting America first.
“America First is not isolationism,” Graham said. “It is to kill people who wish us ill with a record of trying to destroy us.”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
