Lindsey Graham Wants Trump to Go 'All In' on Iran as Security Council Meets

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Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has called for a regime change in Iran, saying President Donald Trump should go "all in" to help Israel combat Iran's nuclear threat.
Why It Matters
Israel on Friday launched attacks against Iran's capital city of Tehran in what it called a "preemptive strike" and warned its citizens of retaliatory bombings from Iran.
While attending the Group of Seven summit on Monday, Trump announced plans to cut his trip short, telling reporters, "I have to be back early — for obvious reasons."
Multiple media outlets including Fox News and CNN have reported that Trump has asked for a National Security Council meeting to convene in the Situation Room upon his return to Washington, D.C.
Newsweek reached out to the White House Monday night for comment.
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated as Iranian Defense Minister General Aziz Nasirzadeh previously warned that Iran could attack U.S. bases if nuclear talks break down with Trump's administration or if hostilities continue mounting.
What To Know
While speaking with Fox News' Sean Hannity Monday night on the strikes, Graham said, in part, "So here is the task at hand. Be all in, President Trump, in helping Israel eliminate the nuclear threat. If we need to provide bombs to Israel, provide bombs. If we need to fly planes with Israel, do joint operations. But here's the bigger question, wouldn't the world be better off if the Ayatollahs went away and replaced by something better? Wouldn't Iran be better off?"
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Graham also said, "No one can say that President @realDonaldTrump has not tried to seek peace regarding Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Iran. He has gone the extra mile and I appreciate that. However, you have to have willing partners to make peace. Iran played the same old game with the wrong guy. God bless Israel, God bless the United States and God bless President Trump."
This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.

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Iranian officials have said their participation in future talks would hinge on Israel stopping its attacks. Some European representatives said talks should continue regardless, even as they urged both sides to avoid escalation. 'We invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for,' French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said. For Israel, the most critical, but perhaps toughest, official objective is eliminating Iran's nuclear facility at Fordo. That facility is buried deep underground, and Israel has been hoping Trump will enter the fight and use special, massive U.S. bombs to destroy it. There are concerns, however, including among Republicans, that Iran could retaliate against U.S. assets if America enters the conflict on any level, dragging America into another Middle Eastern war. Trump campaigned on avoiding such wars. 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There is tremendous distrust of Iran's Islamist regime within Israel's security establishment, leading to a sense that Iran would cheat on any deal. Another unsettled question is whether a deal with Iran will cover only its nuclear program or also curb its ballistic missile initiative and support for proxy militias in the region. Some analysts have argued that Netanyahu decided to begin attacking Iran last week because he was worried earlier nuclear talks between Iran and the Trump administration would yield too weak a deal. If new efforts at diplomacy yield fruit, Trump could pressure Netanyahu to accept whatever deal emerges, potentially even by threatening to withhold weapons and other equipment Israel needs to defend itself against Iran. The war is costly for Israel, which has been fighting on multiple fronts — in particular against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip — since October 2023. As one Israeli official said, Iranian missile attacks feel like 'Russian roulette' to Israeli citizens.