Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Wednesday night that he has changed his mind and now views the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding favorably, after speaking with White House envoy Steve Witkoff. Graham argued the agreement opens the Strait of Hormuz and is positive, according to Israeli media.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) reversed his previous opposition to the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding Wednesday evening, saying he changed his mind after a conversation with White Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. "I changed my mind after speaking with Witkoff — this agreement overall opens Hormuz and that is good," Graham said, according to Israeli journalist Amit Segal (N12).
This is the third version of the shift The Zioneer has tracked since 19:21 Tuesday, when Graham first expressed optimism on the talks. Version 2 at the same timestamp showed him citing the potential for opening the Strait of Hormuz. By version 3, also at 19:21, he had fully reversed and voiced support. The thread's fourth version added the detail that Trump had threatened to fire anyone not supporting the deal. Graham's late-evening remarks, now specifically citing the Hormuz opening, are the latest iteration — the fifth version — in a story that developed over hours on a single day.
Graham's prior hawkishness was well-documented: as The Zioneer reported on June 11, he called for military force and for Washington to stop restraining Israel. By June 16, Trump warned him publicly, saying the senator would be in "big trouble." The turnabout follows administration pressure and a conversation with Witkoff.
The full text of the MOU remains classified. It is not independently confirmed whether Graham has read the classified text, and the exact time of the call with Witkoff was not disclosed.
5 developments
- ConfirmedIran's Tasnim adds details on US-Iran MOU: last-minute changes, Hormuz opening delayed
- DevelopingSenator Graham: Stop restraining Israel, US should use military force if Iran does not sign deal immediately
- ConfirmedU.S. and Iran reportedly near agreement on nuclear freeze, sanctions relief, and Strait of Hormuz reopening
- StrongIranian source: Strait of Hormuz reopening to begin Friday after MoU signing
Source and signal
- Internal intake