Tehran’s response: Iranian outlets celebrate Senator Graham’s demise with ‘sudden death’ threats
Tehran: State-aligned Iranian newspapers are celebrating the death of US Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch ally of Donald Trump, with one prominent publication warning that the American president and other senior officials could face a "sudden death."
The daily newspaper Hamshahri featured a front-page illustration depicting President Donald Trump kneeling beside a portrait of Graham. The graphic also included US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and other high-ranking American and Israeli figures under the headline "Get Ready for Sudden Death" following the senator's passing.
Concurrently, another Iranian daily, Vatan-e Emrooz, splashed news of the veteran politician's death across its July 13 front page with the headline "Death of the Merchant of Death." The newspaper detailed that the long-serving South Carolina lawmaker had been a principal architect of hostile US policies toward Iran, stating that he died following what it described as a "sudden illness."
Adding to the aggressive rhetoric emanating from Tehran, a newsreader on Iranian state television appeared to imply Iranian involvement in the senator's demise, announcing: "I congratulate the Iranian nation on warmongering anti-Iran US Senator Lindsey Graham being sent to hell."
The broadcasts from Tehran have sparked extensive conspiracy theories among members of Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) political base. Many supporters have pointed to prior death threats issued against Graham by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) whilst demanding a formal investigation into his passing.
The fierce reaction from Tehran reflects the late lawmaker's long-standing position as one of Washington's most vocal proponents of a hawkish foreign policy. The South Carolina senator had consistently championed military aid for Ukraine in its war against Russia, steadfastly backed Israel during the conflict in Gaza, and repeatedly called for the removal of Iran's current leadership.
Graham had previously courted controversy by suggesting Israel could be justified in deploying nuclear weapons in Gaza, where hostilities that erupted in October 2023 have persisted despite a ceasefire agreement reached with Hamas a year later.
Following the February 28 attacks on Iran, Graham openly advocated for the overthrow of the Iranian government. Speaking to Fox News, he argued that the financial expenditure of such an undertaking would be worthwhile, asserting that the collapse of the Tehran regime would fundamentally reshape the Middle East and unlock substantial economic opportunities.
In the weeks preceding the latest outbreak of hostilities with Iran, Graham made several trips to Israel to meet officials from the national intelligence agency, Mossad. He subsequently remarked that those briefings provided vital insights that, according to him, were not being shared by the US government.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Graham also held private discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during those visits, advising him on strategies to persuade President Trump to endorse military action against Iran. Graham later claimed that the intelligence data presented by Netanyahu ultimately convinced Trump to back the joint campaign.
In the build-up to the current conflict, the lawmaker had also urged regional powers, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, to participate in military operations against Iran, maintaining that both nations possessed the requisite capabilities. More recently, he had criticised Saudi Arabia for choosing to remain out of the hostilities.
ANI