Lindsey Graham, a long-serving Republican senator and a decades-long advocate for military action against Iran, delivered a stark warning to the Iranian government, stating that investing funds to “take this regime down” would be a worthwhile endeavor.
“Once this regime collapses, we will witness a transformed Middle East and stand to generate significant profits,” Graham, a consistent supporter of US military involvement overseas, informed Fox News on Sunday.
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Graham, a prominent proponent of Israel and the conflict with Iran during the Trump administration, seemed to imply that the US-led apprehension of Venezuela’s leftist leader Nicolas Maduro and the assault on Iran were orchestrated to seize command of each nation’s oil reserves.
“Venezuela and Iran collectively possess 31 percent of the global oil reserves. We anticipate forming a partnership encompassing 31 percent of these identified reserves. This scenario represents China’s worst fear. It is a sound investment,” Graham remarked.
US Aims to ‘Partition Nation, Seize Oil’
On Monday, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, charged the United States with attempting to gain dominion over Iran’s petroleum assets.
“Their strategy is unmistakable, their venture conspicuously evident – they intend to fragment our nation to unlawfully appropriate our vast oil wealth,” he asserted. “Their goal is to infringe upon our sovereignty, overcome our populace, and erode our fundamental humanity.”
Graham predicted that the joint US-Israeli assaults on Tehran would intensify further over the next fortnight. He declared that the U.S. intended to “blow the hell out of these people,” emphasizing that “nobody will threaten [the US] in the Strait of Hormuz ever again.”
“This regime is currently in its final struggle; it will be brought to its knees and ultimately collapse, and upon its downfall, we will experience unprecedented peace and prosperity beyond anyone’s wildest dreams,” Graham conveyed to Fox News host Maria Bartiromo.
Following the coordinated US-Israel offensive against Iran on February 28, Graham was among numerous Republicans who voiced their endorsement.
“An Iranian government possessing long-range missiles and nuclear capabilities would pose an extreme peril to every American,” stated US President Donald Trump on March 2.
The Trump administration rationalized the assaults by asserting Iran presented an imminent danger, an assertion that experts deemed legally baseless and a violation of international law.
The conflict has also driven oil prices above $100, impacting the worldwide economy and eliciting retaliatory Iranian attacks on Gulf states housing US military installations. Petroleum and natural gas output has suffered, fuel tankers have become immobilized, and air travel in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states has been suspended amidst the Iranian offensives.
In the weeks preceding the recent Middle East conflict, Graham undertook multiple visits to Israel to confer with operatives from Mossad, the nation’s intelligence service.
“They disclose information to me that our own government withholds,” Graham revealed.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Graham additionally engaged with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during these excursions, “advising him on strategies to persuade President [Trump] to take action.”
The US senator stated that Netanyahu subsequently presented intelligence to Trump that “convinced” him to initiate the joint military campaign against Iran. For decades, Israel has been pressing the US for war with Iran, alleging Tehran’s intent to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has consistently reaffirmed that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful applications and that it harbors no ambition to construct weaponry.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has declared that, at present, no evidence or sign points to a systematic, continuous program for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.
Prior US administrations refrained from military interventions. In 2015, President Barack Obama endorsed a nuclear agreement that placed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activities in return for eased sanctions. Nevertheless, Netanyahu voiced opposition to this accord. Trump subsequently rescinded the deal in 2018 during his initial presidential term.
Graham Supported Nearly All Middle East Conflicts
Graham, widely considered one of the most hawkish senators, has endorsed virtually every military intervention in the Middle East over the last two decades, including the catastrophic 2003 Iraq War, which utterly ruined the nation. Over 270,000 Iraqi non-combatants perished as a direct consequence of that conflict.
The United States invaded Iraq in 2003, plunging the country into political turmoil and fostering the emergence of armed factions such as al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS). A partial withdrawal of US troops occurred in 2009, though a contingent stayed behind to instruct Iraqi security personnel.
Graham further supported military incursions into Syria and Libya, operations that decimated both nations. Libya remains fragmented, governed by two rival factions, whereas Syria’s interim government has managed to broaden its authority across most regions under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who assumed de facto leadership following Bashar al-Assad’s removal in December 2024. Over 300,000 individuals lost their lives, and approximately half of the country’s populace was uprooted, instigating a refugee crisis that spread to Europe.
In the course of his interview, Graham urged the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to initiate attacks against Iran. “Yes. I desire for them to join the combat. We provide them with weaponry. Iran is attacking their territory; they possess substantial capabilities.”
As a reprisal for the US and Israeli offensives, Iran carried out substantial missile and drone strikes against Gulf nations, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, aiming at US military installations and vital infrastructure.
Graham’s interview also implied that the White House might soon redirect its focus towards Cuba.
“Do you observe this hat? ‘Free Cuba.’ Remain attentive. Cuba’s emancipation is imminent. We are advancing globally. We are purging the adversaries. Cuba is the next target.”
Both Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio—himself the son of Cuban immigrants—have openly expressed their aspiration to effect a governmental transition in Havana, a city that has endured a US trade embargo for decades since Fidel Castro spearheaded the revolution that overthrew the pro-US dictator in 1959.
Washington re-established diplomatic relations with Havana in 2015 during President Obama’s tenure, but Trump overturned this policy during his initial term as president.