Lindsey Graham's Death: Praise from Israel and Ukraine, but a Bloody Legacy
US Senator Lindsey Graham, a key foreign policy hawk, has died at 71. Tributes from Israel and Ukraine contrast with Iranian hostility, underscoring his complex role in wars in Iraq, Iran, and Gaza.
Influential Senator Dies
US Senator Lindsey Graham, known for his hawkish foreign policy and influence on Donald Trump, died on Saturday at age 71. His death has drawn mixed reactions – praise from Israel and Ukraine, but open contempt from Iran.
International Tributes
Among the first to pay tribute was Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right figure who recently sparked outrage, followed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called Graham a "great friend of Israel." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described him as a "true defender of freedom."
A Bloody Legacy
Graham was a leading neoconservative hawk who cheered the 2003 Iraq War, called for preemptive strikes against Iran, and was crucial in pushing Trump to launch the Iran war in February 2026. He also staunchly supported Israel's war in Gaza and Ukraine's defense against Russia, visiting Kyiv for the tenth time just before his death.
Influence and Contradictions
Former White House official Brett Bruen noted Graham's outsized influence on Trump, often trying to steer him away from dictators. However, his loyalty to Trump bordered on sycophancy, and his death may remove a check on Trump's impulses.
Iranian Hostility
Iranian state television openly celebrated Graham's death, with an anchor saying: "I congratulate the great nation of Iran on the warmongering and anti-Iranian US senator having gone to hell."
Graham's complex legacy reflects his active role in several bloody conflicts, while maintaining global influence.
