After returning from a visit to Israel, Senator Lindsey Graham reacted to a Hezbollah attack that killed four Israeli soldiers and injured 60 more. Speaking on Fox News’s Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy, Graham supported the Pentagon’s decision to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to Israel.
“I appreciate what President Biden did by giving the THAAD system, a high-level missile system, to help Israel,” Graham stated.
He went on to express his belief that Israel should take direct action against Iran. “Israel, I think, soon will hit Iran, and they should. We’ve lost deterrence. Iran’s no longer afraid. Biden and this crowd has lost all deterrence, and if I were Israel, I would hit Iran hard to regain deterrence,” he emphasized. Graham dismissed calls for a ceasefire, arguing that Israel’s enemies also target the U.S. and that failing to recognize this is being “national security stupid.”
Graham advocated for collaboration between Arab nations and Israel to isolate Iran, explaining that the October 7 attack by Hamas was designed to undermine peace efforts in the region. “This attack was designed to stop what I’ve been working on and others for a year and a half,” he said. “And if you really want Iran to lose, push a deal between the Arabs and Israelis to make peace.”
Former President Donald Trump also weighed in, suggesting that Israel is “entitled to an attack” on Iran’s nuclear sites, citing the missile attacks Iran has orchestrated on Israel. Trump further called on Israel to be smarter in backing him, claiming the support he provides Israel is “not reciprocal.”