Sen. Lindsey Graham says it is not the job of the U.S. to determine Iran's next leader
#Lindsey Graham #Iran #Khamenei #U.S. #Terrorism #State Sponsor #War Powers Resolution #Meet the Press #NBC News #Middle East #Foreign Policy #Israel #Trump
📌 Key Takeaways
- Sen. Lindsey Graham believes it is not the U.S.'s job to determine Iran's next leader.
- Graham opposes deploying U.S. troops in Iran.
- The U.S. should focus on preventing Iran from becoming a state sponsor of terrorism and supporting the Iranian people in establishing a new government.
- Democrats have differing views, with some criticizing the lack of a plan and others supporting Graham's assessment that the world is safer without Khamenei.
- There is debate regarding whether Congress should vote on a war powers resolution to limit future military action in Iran.
📖 Full Retelling
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., stated on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that it is not the United States' responsibility to choose Iran's next leader. This follows the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a series of strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces. Graham emphasized the U.S. should not intervene by deploying troops and that the focus should be on preventing Iran from becoming a major state sponsor of terrorism and assisting the Iranian people in establishing a new government. He asserted that this is not a task for Americans, and that the U.S. is close to achieving its goal of preventing Iran from being a state sponsor of terrorism. Democrats have differing views on this approach, with some questioning the lack of a clear plan and others echoing Graham's sentiment that the world is safer with Khamenei dead, while advocating for a more strategic approach.
🏷️ Themes
International Relations, U.S. Foreign Policy, Iran, Terrorism, Leadership Transition, War Powers, Political Division
📚 Related People & Topics
Lindsey Graham
American politician and attorney (born 1955)
Lindsey Olin Graham ( GRAM; born July 9, 1955) is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States senator from South Carolina, a seat he has held since 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he chaired the Senate Committee on the Judiciary from 2019 to 2021. Graham previousl...
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Original Source
Sen. Lindsey Graham says it is not the job of the U.S. to determine Iran's next leader The Republican senator has been a top supporter of the president's decision to strike Iran. Add NBC News to Google Lindsey Graham says it’s ‘not our job’ to pick Iran’s leader after Khamenei's death: Full interview 13:28 Get more news on Share Add NBC News to Google March 1, 2026, 10:13 AM EST / Updated March 1, 2026, 10:21 AM EST By Megan Lebowitz Listen to this article with a free account 00:00 00:00 Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said during an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that it is not the United States' job to pick Iran's next leader and that the U.S. should not put boots on the ground after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a series of pre-dawn strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces. Pressed by moderator Kristen Welker on whether the U.S. has a plan to ensure that Iran's future was determined by Iranians and that Iran would not be a major state sponsor of terrorism, Graham argued that it was not up to Americans. "It's not his job or my job to do this," Graham said. "How many times do I have to tell you? Our job is to make sure Iran is no longer the largest state sponsor of terrorism, to help the people reconstruct a new government. No boots on the ground." Graham argued that it was in the U.S.' interest to ensure that Khamenei was dead. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Khamenei was killed in an attack, and he said in a Saturday interview with NBC News that "most" of the people who make decisions for Iran "are gone." "It's in America's interest to make sure that Iran can no longer be the largest state sponsor of terrorism," Graham said. "We're close. Once the people decide what they want to do next, I don't mind helping them, but I know what they're not going to be allowed to do next: regenerate the largest state sponsor of terrorism." Add NBC News to Google Mark Kelly calls Khamenei’s death a ‘good thing’ but slams lack of 'pl...
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