Graham’s Golf-Course Pitch Drives Trump Toward Iran Action

Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime advocate of taking action against Iran, spent months persuading Donald Trump after their 2024 discussions—beginning on a golf course and shifting to TV appearances and private White House talks—that Trump should own an Iran strike. Graham argued Iran’s program threatens regional stability and Israel-Arab normalization, and his lobbying intensified in the weeks leading up to a large U.S.-Israel operation against Iran’s missile and nuclear programs. The decision signaled a hawkish shift in Trump’s second term and drew bipartisan scrutiny and GOP pushback over process, even as Graham aims to build a Senate coalition to solidify Israel-Arab ties via a treaty.