U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday to “do what you have to do” to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The remarks made in a meeting with the Israel leader come less than two weeks after Donald Trump was elected president and as tension between Israel and its arch-enemy continue to boil over Iran’s nuclear program and support for its terrorist proxies in the region.
The Republican lawmaker said that he has never been more worried about an Iranian nuclear breakout than right now.
“In Senator Graham’s estimation, a nuclear-armed Iranian ayatollah is an existential threat to Israel and a nightmare for the world,” according to a readout of the meeting from his office.
“It is in America’s interest to ensure the Iranian regime does not possess a nuclear weapon,” he said
“This is a critical and dangerous moment for our friends in Israel and the world at large,” Graham added. “It is imperative that the United States is seen and heard as having Israel’s back against the threat coming from Iran.”
The Iranian issue was also at the forefront of a meeting between Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida last Sunday.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk, commissioner-designate of the projected U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, reportedly met with Iran’s ambassador to the U.N. in New York in an effort to defuse tensions between their nations.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors will meet in Vienna this week and is expected to vote on a resolution of censure against Iran for its lack of cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
Last month, Graham, who voiced support for Israel targeting the Islamic Republic’s oil fields, called Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a “religious Nazi” who would use a nuclear weapon against the State of Israel if he could.
“The best way to make peace in this region is to cripple and weaken Iran,” Graham said during a bipartisan solidarity visit to Jerusalem. “They are the source of most of the conflict.”
At the same time, he pressed Saudi Arabia to reach a normalization deal with Israel.
“The Iranians fear an Arab-Israel reconciliation more than any weapon you can send their way, because it is a permanent change,” Graham said at a Jerusalem press conference ahead of a visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Graham plans to travel to Saudi Arabia during his current visit to the region to promote restarting negotiations for Riyadh to join the Abraham Accords.
On Sunday, the senator met with former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to discuss countering Iran and normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia, among other issues.
“Held an important meeting with Senator @LindseyGrahamSC—a true friend of Israel. He makes tremendous efforts to further deepen U.S.-Israel ties, strengthen Israel’s regional standing, and support Israel’s security in the face of threats posed by Iran and its proxies,” Gallant tweeted following the meeting.
“We discussed the importance of capitalizing on time-sensitive opportunities to secure agreements that will strengthen Israel and her regional partners, while weakening Iran,” Gallant continued. “This includes an agreement that will ensure the return of 101 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.”
