Lindsey Graham’s 4 high-stakes remarks that made headlines: ‘500% tariffs on India’, Pak’s role as mediator problematic, more | Today’s news
Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump and a prominent figure in U.S. foreign policy, has died at the age of 71 after what his office called a “short and sudden illness.”
Graham, who represented South Carolina in the Senate for more than 20 years, has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters in its war against Russia and a vocal proponent of tougher sanctions on Moscow. He has been a vocal critic of India’s purchases of Russian oil and has made headlines four times with his remarks on highly sensitive global situations.
A look at Lindsey Graham’s comments that made headlines
In February this year, Graham claimed that India had “dramatically” reduced its purchases of Russian oil and expressed support for tariffs imposed by Trump on India. He called the development a “good example” of how such policy measures could influence the behavior of other nations.
Last month, Graham praised Trump for “greening” the Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill, which he helped implement. The legislation reportedly proposed giving the US president the power to impose tariffs of up to 500% on countries, including India, that continue to buy Russian oil.
Read also | Trump’s longtime ally and US senator Lindsey Graham has died at the age of 71
The Republican senator said the bill would “allow” Trump to “punish countries that buy the cheap Russian oil that fuels Putin’s war machine.”
2. Graham praised Trump for standing with “the people over the Ayatollah” in an appearance on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. He also described Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “modern-day Hitler”, a “religious Nazi” and a “terrible person”.
He mentioned, “It’s time for him to go. People want him to go.”
Addressing Trump directly, he added: “If I were you, Mr. President, I would kill the leadership that is killing people. You have to stop it.”
During the interview, Graham also said that toppling Iran’s supreme leader would pave the way for peace in the region.
Read also | Why the US hasn’t ‘ended’ the war with Iran: Lindsey Graham says Congress must approve
3. Graham sparked controversy in February of this year with his comments on Greenland, saying that owning the Danish territory was less important than achieving US strategic goals.
When asked by Politico how he would respond to European allies concerned about the controversy, Graham dismissed their concerns and suggested they were overreacting.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Graham reiterated that the focus should be on securing the desired outcomes rather than who formally controls Greenland.
Read also | Ceasefire is over, but US and Iran agree to keep talking, Trump says
4. Graham drew attention this May after questioning Pakistan’s credibility as a mediator in the US-Iran conflict and calling on Islamabad to formally recognize Israel. His remarks were considered controversial as Trump publicly supported Pakistan’s mediation efforts and later reaffirmed US support for the country.
“It has been clear to me for some time that Pakistan as a mediator is more than problematic. Their hostility towards Israel is long-standing. It is undeniable that Iranian military aircraft are stationed at Pakistani air bases and the past rhetoric of top Pakistani officials against Israel is troubling,” he wrote on X.
Graham’s comments were in response to a media report that claimed Pakistan had provided a safe haven for Iranian military aircraft that could have been shielded from US airstrikes. Pakistan has denied the allegations.
