Washington: US Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday issued a strong warning regarding Middle East diplomacy, saying that any potential agreement with Iran must not restrict Israel’s ability to conduct military operations against Hamas and Hezbollah.
The South Carolina Senator made the remarks amid ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Iran and regional security issues.
According to a report by Lebanese media outlet LBCI, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is pushing for a full ceasefire in Lebanon, with a possible announcement expected following a high-level negotiation meeting scheduled for June 2.
In a post on X, Graham said he had recently spoken with President Donald Trump and expressed support for negotiations with Iran under specific conditions.
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… https://t.co/t9Ht9GS6qZ
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 31, 2026
“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 also argued that Israel should be allowed to address security threats posed by Hezbollah.
NEW: 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… pic.twitter.com/6lsvxCILUt
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) May 31, 2026
“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.”
He further stated, “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.”
Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War reported that President Donald Trump has requested several amendments to the draft US-Iran memorandum of understanding, particularly concerning Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.
According to the report, the current draft requires Iran to commit to not pursuing a nuclear weapon but does not include commitments regarding its highly enriched uranium stockpile or uranium enrichment activities on Iranian territory.
