Any deal with Iran that restricts Israel's ability...would be unwise: US Senator Graham draws red line

Summary

Washington DC: US Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday issued a fierce, uncompromising warning regarding Middle East diplomacy, insisting that any potential deal with Tehran must not handcuff Israel's military operations against Hamas and Hezbollah. The South Carolina Senator's high-stakes intervention comes at a critical geopolitical juncture, directly challenging a major diplomatic push from within the administration. According to a report by Lebanese media outlet LBCI, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is actively pushing for a full ceasefire in Lebanon, with a potential breakthrough announcement anticipated immediately following a high-level negotiation meeting scheduled for June 2nd. In a post on X, Senator Graham revealed he has been in direct communication with the White House, aligning himself with a maximalist approach to rewriting Washington's policy toward Tehran. In a post on X, he said, "In a recent conversation with President Trump, I affirmed my support for a deal with Iran that accepts President Trump's demand to open up the Strait of Hormuz and start negotiations about forever ending their nuclear ambitions and support for terrorism. I have confidence that at the end of the day, President Trump will not agree to a bad deal with Iran." Graham said that Israel must be allowed to neutralise Hezbollah, given the national threat it poses to Israel. "On a separate front, it is my belief that we must allow Israel to neutralise the threats the country faces from constant Hezbollah attacks emanating from Lebanon. There are parts of Israel that are uninhabitable because of Hezbollah missile and rocket fire." "It would be unconscionable to ask Israel to accept a ceasefire with Hezbollah, given Hezbollah's stated desire to destroy Israel and their constant attacks. Any ceasefire with Hezbollah would allow them to re-arm and become stronger. In my view, there must not be any linkage between an Iran deal and Israel's ability to fight back against Hezbollah's unceasing aggression in Lebanon. As to Hamas, how much longer are we going to give them to disarm? Let Israel finish them off. Any deal with Iran that restricts Israel's ability to fight back against Hamas and Hezbollah would be unwise," he added. Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War, a policy research organisation, said that US President Donald Trump has requested several amendments to the draft US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU), particularly related to Iran's highly enriched uranium (HEU) stockpile, according to a senior Trump administration official and a second unspecified source speaking to Axios. The current draft MoU requires Iran to commit to not pursue a nuclear weapon but does not include Iranian commitments about Iran's HEU stockpile or ability to enrich uranium on Iranian territory. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) The South Carolina Senator's high-stakes intervention comes at a critical geopolitical juncture, directly challenging a major diplomatic push from within the administration. According to a report by Lebanese media outlet LBCI, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is actively pushing for a full ceasefire in Lebanon, with a potential breakthrough announcement anticipated immediately following a high-level negotiation meeting scheduled for June 2nd. In a post on X, Senator Graham revealed he has been in direct communication with the White House, aligning himself with a maximalist approach to rewriting Washington's policy toward Tehran. In a post on X, he said, "In a recent conversation with President Trump, I affirmed my support for a deal with Iran that accepts President Trump's demand to open up the Strait of Hormuz and start negotiations about forever ending their nuclear ambitions and support for terrorism. I have confidence that at the end of the day, President Trump will not agree to a bad deal with Iran." Graham said that Israel must be allowed to neutralise Hezbollah, given the national threat it poses to Israel. "On a separate front, it is my belief that we must allow Israel to neutralise the threats the country faces from constant Hezbollah attacks emanating from Lebanon. There are parts of Israel that are uninhabitable because of Hezbollah missile and rocket fire." "It would be unconscionable to ask Israel to accept a ceasefire with Hezbollah, given Hezbollah's stated desire to destroy Israel and their constant attacks. Any ceasefire with Hezbollah would allow them to re-arm and become stronger. In my view, there must not be any linkage between an Iran deal and Israel's ability to fight back against Hezbollah's unceasing aggression in Lebanon. As to Hamas, how much longer are we going to give them to disarm? Let Israel finish them off. Any deal with Iran that restricts Israel's ability to fight back against Hamas and Hezbollah would be unwise," he added. Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War, a policy research organisation, said that US President Donald Trump has requested several amendments to the draft US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU), particularly related to Iran's highly enriched uranium (HEU) stockpile, according to a senior Trump administration official and a second unspecified source speaking to Axios. The current draft MoU requires Iran to commit to not pursue a nuclear weapon but does not include Iranian commitments about Iran's HEU stockpile or ability to enrich uranium on Iranian territory. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)