Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he spent 4.5 hours with President Trump on Friday, and that if the US-Iran agreement fails, Trump will forcibly take control of the Strait of Hormuz. Graham also said Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords within six months, according to the senator's remarks reported by Amit Segal (N12).
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told Israeli journalist Amit Segal (N12) that he spent four and a half hours with President Trump on Friday, and that if the US-Iran agreement collapses, Trump will forcibly seize the Strait of Hormuz and collect tolls from shipping to fund the operation. Graham also asserted that Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords within the next six months — a significant acceleration from previous assessments in the thread, where Trump's own earlier statements (as reported Sunday 16:20 Jerusalem) had projected Saudi accession by 2026.
The thread has evolved rapidly since Sunday. At 07:50 Jerusalem on Sunday, Trump warned he may impose Strait of Hormuz tolls within 60 days if no deal is reached. By 16:20 Jerusalem, Graham was quoted telling The Zioneer that Trump would forcibly seize the strait, expand the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia by 2026, and — if Iran resists — destroy it. Later Sunday (16:20 Jerusalem), Graham added that if Hezbollah attacks Israel, the new US policy is to strike Iran directly. Those earlier statements were attributed to Graham through a single source. The current report, also single-source through Segal's the source, narrows the Saudi timeline to six months from the originally cited 2026.
The backdrop includes Trump's own repeated threats to seize the strait (as The Zioneer reported Sunday from Fox News), and his warning Friday of a 60-day ceasefire close at hand that would reopen the waterway without tolls. Graham separately told The Zioneer on June 11 that the US should use military force if Iran does not sign a deal immediately.
All claims in this latest dispatch remain single-source via Segal's the source; no official White House statement or Saudi confirmation has been published. The six-month timeline for Saudi accession to the Abraham Accords is a marked shift from Trump's own stated 2026 projection, and it is unclear whether it reflects actual administration policy or Graham's personal assessment.
8 developments
- StrongTrump warns he may impose Strait of Hormuz tolls if no Iran deal in 60 days
- StrongTrump: US and Iran close to 60-day ceasefire deal, Strait of Hormuz to reopen
- DevelopingTrump: Without a deal, US military actions could shut Hormuz for extended period
- StrongSenator Graham says Trump has a new policy: US will respond in Iran if Hezbollah attacks Israel
Source and signal
- Internal intake