Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said several people around President Donald Trump are advising him against attacking Iran as the president weighs military options.
Trump is overseeing a buildup that includes two aircraft carriers and hundreds of warplanes while his team also explores whether negotiations can curb Iran's nuclear program without a strike.
Graham urged Trump to ignore advisers counseling restraint, warning that fears of another major U.S. military operation in the Middle East risk, in his view, overlooking what he called the consequences of inaction.
"I understand concerns about major military operations in the Middle East, given past entanglements. However, the voices who counsel against getting entangled seem to ignore the consequences of letting evil go unchecked," Graham said.
Axios reported that Trump has been presented with military options that include killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son.
However, there is some flexibility in the administration's posture in talks with Iran.
A senior official told Axios the U.S. would consider an Iranian proposal that includes some "token" uranium enrichment if it ensures there is no path to a bomb.
Graham, a longtime advocate of using force to pressure Iran, said he visited the Middle East earlier this week and discussed Iran with leaders of Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
He said the trip left him believing there was an opening "to bring about historic change" in Iran, while adding that "voices opposing entanglement and the risk associated with decisive action are getting louder."
Some advisers suggest Trump delay strikes and use the threat of force to seek concessions, while others in his circle question the prudence of a regime-change operation in Iran.
The standoff has unfolded alongside renewed U.S.-Iran diplomacy.
A senior Iranian official said talks aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program are expected to continue in early March, with the two sides still divided on sanctions relief.
The White House has framed the U.S. approach as combining pressure with an insistence on a deal that bars nuclear weapons, including steps the administration says were taken after a June operation it called "Operation Midnight Hammer."
USNI News reported on Feb. 20 that the USS Gerald R. Ford passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and was operating in the Mediterranean Sea after being retasked to join the buildup tied to Iran.
On the nuclear stockpile at the center of the dispute, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported in September 2025 that Iran had 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%, and PBS reported in November 2025 that the agency had not been able to verify the stockpile for months, underscoring uncertainty around more current figures.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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