Republican Senator Urges Trump to Seek Iran Regime Change Over Negotiations
Prominent Republican Senator Lindsey Graham urged President Donald Trump to pursue regime change in Iran rather than negotiate with Tehran, stating “real peace in the Middle East begins when Iran’s regime falls.”
Graham called on Trump to fulfill his promise to support Iranian protesters during an interview with Fox News, drawing parallels to policies of former presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama.
US policy toward Iran has oscillated between diplomatic engagement and confrontation for decades, with the 2015 nuclear agreement representing a high point of negotiation before Trump’s first-term withdrawal. Regime change advocacy has deep roots among conservative Republicans and neoconservatives who argue the Islamic Republic cannot be reformed, though such calls have intensified following Iran’s violent crackdown on recent protests and its support for regional militant groups.
The senior Republican senator believes the Islamic Republic’s collapse would weaken terrorist groups supported by Tehran throughout the Middle East region and beyond.
Iran has supported various regional armed groups and governments aligned with its interests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, Houthi rebels in Yemen, and Shia militias in Iraq and Syria. This network, which Iran views as legitimate resistance against Western influence and Israeli occupation, has been labeled the “Axis of Resistance” and represents a key pillar of Iranian regional strategy, though critics characterize it as sponsorship of terrorism and destabilization.
Graham emphasized that “the ayatollahs’ government will never be America’s partner or friend,” arguing Trump has chosen the right path by prioritizing the Iranian people over their oppressive government.
The senator identified the Islamic Republic as the primary sponsor of regional militias, claiming Hezbollah, Houthis, and other armed groups would disappear if the regime were overthrown.
Graham’s call for regime change represents a more hawkish position than Trump’s current approach of combining military threats with diplomatic overtures for nuclear negotiations. The debate reflects ongoing Republican divisions between those favoring maximum pressure campaigns to force Iran’s capitulation and those advocating direct regime overthrow, with Trump appearing to balance both strategies while keeping military options available.
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