After pushing for some of the most disastrous wars in US history, neoconservative Senator Lindsey Graham wants the US to step up its military involvement even further – and for Trump to force regime change in Iran.
Lindsey Graham, from South Carolina, has for decades been one of the most vocal advocates of US wars and military interventions around the world. He has consistently backed calls for new wars and for many years helped to initiate or prolong protracted and disastrous conflicts.
Graham supported the invasions of both Afghanistan and Iraq and has repeatedly called for the US to bomb Iran, overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, invade Libya, and use force to stop North Korea’s nuclear program.
According to analysts, his line is strongly influenced by neoconservative warmongering rather than diplomacy, and even in the Ukraine war, he has been one of the most vocal advocates of increasingly aggressive Western involvement, with constant demands for increased arms deliveries.
Graham also wants the US to further escalate the situation with Iran. He is not satisfied with the US bombing Iranian nuclear facilities, but wants the US to force regime change in the country.
“A new chapter in the Middle East”
Even before the Trump administration joined Israel’s bombing campaign, Graham argued that this was not enough, saying that the US should take strong action to force out the Iranian regime and replace it with another government that better serves the interests of the US and Israel.
“But here’s the bigger question: Wouldn’t the world be better off if the ayatollahs went away and were replaced by something better? Wouldn’t Iran be better off?” asked the Republican senator, before answering his own question.
“It’s time to close the chapter on the ayatollah and his henchmen. Let’s close it soon and start a new chapter in the Mideast: one of tolerance, hope, and peace”, he declared.
In recent days, the bellicose senator has repeated the message that the US should force regime change in interviews and on social media, stating that “it is time to end the madness in Iran”.
Trump wants to “make Iran great again”
This stance also seems to have gained some support from President Trump, who recently hinted that the US – despite promises to the contrary – may still use military force to overthrow the current regime.
“It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change’, but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!” he wrote on his own platform, Truth Social.
Graham was quick to praise the president’s statement and stated that the Iranian regime must change “either through their behavior or new leadership”.
“who in their right mind would want this regime to continue the status quo, attacking their neighbors, oppressing their people, and being the largest state sponsor of terrorism on the planet? If you like that, you’re a sick puppy. Count me in for any way possible to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN by making it decent again”, the senator said.
Harmful influence
It is difficult to determine exactly how many people have lost their lives in the wars that Graham has helped to incite, but the Iraq War alone is estimated to have cost around one million lives. In Afghanistan, the Taliban are back in power, and in Syria, Islamists with ties to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State are now in control.
Many of Trump’s supporters have long been critical of the influence that Lindsey Graham and other neoconservative Republicans still wield, pointing out that they appear to serve interests other than those of the American people.
Others have noted that Trump’s voter base elected the president precisely to avoid unnecessary and protracted major wars and instead focus on the US – and that people like Graham should therefore be kept as far away from influence as possible.
