WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) yesterday delivered a speech on the Senate floor regarding the recent Israel-Iran conflict, before President Trump announced a ceasefire. During his remarks, Senator Graham gave an overview of the conflict, highlighted the Iranian Regime’s radical religious beliefs, and underscored the importance of stopping the ayatollah from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Graham also reiterated his unwavering support for the State of Israel and praised President Trump for the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

On Operation Midnight Hammer:

• GRAHAM: “God bless President Donald J. Trump! I am so glad he won. What has he tried to do? Make peace, not war. He gave the ayatollah sixty days to find a peaceful settlement regarding their nuclear enrichment program… Sixty-one days go by and the rest is history.” https://youtu.be/6mWtHKhRszs?si=9FnIyGcFppQ7DgyH&t=886
• GRAHAM: “Operation Midnight Hammer [was conducted] after day sixty. All the negotiations went nowhere, because the Iranians didn’t want them to go anywhere. President Trump acted, and it was brilliant, it was bold, and it will live in history.” https://youtu.be/6mWtHKhRszs?si=0CfR0cMMbHX2Xluo&t=990

On the motivations behind the Iranian Regime’s sponsorship of terrorism:

• GRAHAM: “It’s all about religion. A fanatical strain of Shi’ism is now in charge of Iran, and they have three goals: …To purify Islam in the image of the ayatollah, to destroy the Jewish state, [and] to drive us out of the Middle East because we’re infidels. This is not a democracy, it’s a theocracy.” https://youtu.be/6mWtHKhRszs?si=F_BV1lb6ne5MDg_9&t=27
• GRAHAM: “Why do they do what they do? Religious, fanatical beliefs. [They want] a master religion for the world. If you don’t believe that, you have missed a lot. The only way they’re not going to get there is for somebody to stop them.” https://youtu.be/6mWtHKhRszs?si=lUmASnj-In4s7xfm&t=1498
• GRAHAM: “Let me tell you what [the Iranian regime is] up to. They’re up to enacting a religious agenda that has no place for anybody but them. If you’re a Christian, they want to destroy your faith. If you’re Jewish, they want to wipe you off the planet. And if you’re a Muslim, and you don’t agree with them, which most don’t, they want to take over the entire faith and make you bend the knee to their view. These people are religious fanatics. … Do you want any of these people [running the regime] to have a nuclear weapon? I don’t.” https://youtu.be/6mWtHKhRszs?si=agMwQomzy1yXhfup&t=416

On Iran’s threats and acts of violence toward America:

• GRAHAM: “During the swearing in of the [new] Iranian president, the crowd started chanting, ‘Death to America, Death to America.’ [This happened] not long ago, July 30, 2024.” https://youtu.be/6mWtHKhRszs?si=pu2a2sS1TSEw9dNa&t=398
• GRAHAM: “If you think this is not our conflict, you’ve missed a lot. You’ve been asleep at the switch since 1979… [The Iranian regime has] attacked Americans. They have American blood on their hands. They’re trying to build a nuclear bomb, and one of the targets is us.” https://youtu.be/6mWtHKhRszs?si=kFU_-nj4ToShoYZ0&t=487

On Graham’s hopes for the future of the Middle East: 

• GRAHAM: “Here’s my goal: to have people in charge of Iran who don’t want a nuclear weapon [or] to destroy Israel, who will not be the largest state sponsor of terrorism, but live in peace with their neighbors, and have a good relationship with the United States.” https://youtu.be/6mWtHKhRszs?si=iiloDfp0waZMFofB&t=1119

Click here to watch Graham’s full remarks

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