Trump ally who championed Iran offensive now calls for 'Wind down the war' as hostilities spiral past one month

Trump ally and senior US Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham, one of the biggest proponents of the Iran war who had argued for use of "overwhelming firepower" to crush the Iranian regime's ability to project power, on Monday (March 30) shifted his stance, saying "Wind down the war and wind up efforts for a historic peace deal" as the conflict in West Asia stretches past its first month with no end in sight.

Graham, in a post on X, claimed that "the necessity for military action is weeks, not months, and Operation Epic Fury is well ahead of pace" following a "very good discussion" with US President Donald Trump about his “recent statement regarding the consequences to Iran if they do not agree to an acceptable peace deal.”

On Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Washington was engaged in active negotiations with Tehran, expressing optimism about a possible resolution. The two sides, he wrote, had held "very good and productive" talks aimed at achieving a "complete and total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East."

At the same time, Trump issued a strong warning, saying the US would strike key Iranian infrastructure, including "electric generating plants, oil wells and Kharg Island," if the Strait of Hormuz does not "open for business."

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The White House's current shift in stance towards Tehran is attributed to Graham and others' months-long lobbying efforts for war with Iran, even as Trump had argued against US intervention in foreign countries during his presidential campaign. As Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, the Senator is currently spearheading a reconciliation bill to secure $200 billion in supplemental defence funding for the war effort. Graham is also a key figure in Christians United for Israel (CUFI), the largest pro-Israel grassroots organisation in the US.

Graham further asserted that neutralising Iran, the "largest state sponsor of terrorism," would pave a path to peace by "allowing Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalise their relationship, effectively ending the Arab-Israeli conflict."

Accusing Tehran of being a spoiler of Arab-Israeli peace, he said: "If this historic normalisation deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel occurs, it will be due to President Trump's bold, decisive leadership in dealing with the Iranian threat so they can no longer be a spoiler for peace like they were on October 7, 2023."