US Decision on Iran “Weeks, Not Months,” Graham Says as Huckabee Warns War May Be Inevitable

Sen. Lindsey Graham said during a visit to Israel that a U.S. decision on Iran is “weeks, not months” away, after meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Graham stressed there is “no light” between President Donald Trump and Netanyahu regarding how to address the Iranian threat.

Speaking at a press briefing in Tel Aviv, the Republican senator said Washington is weighing two possible paths as nuclear talks resume. “There are two lines in the water right now,” Graham said. “One’s a diplomatic line, trying to find a way to end this regime diplomatically that will advance our national security interest. The other line is the military option.”

Graham said Trump is seeking to determine which approach “can catch the biggest fish,” adding: “The bottom line is we’re in the weeks, not months, in terms of decision-making.”

The senator described the Iranian regime as being at its weakest point in decades. “The Iranian ayatollah and his murderous regime are at their weakest point since 1979. Their economy is in shambles. Their military has been degraded. There are people in the streets,” he said. Graham added that “the risk of regime change is real” and acknowledged there are unknowns, but said he is “willing to take that risk.”

Graham’s visit included a meeting with Netanyahu, during which the two discussed Iran and broader regional security concerns. The senator emphasized that the Trump administration and the Israeli government are aligned on both the objective and the method of confronting Tehran.

Separately, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee delivered a warning about the Iranian threat while addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Huckabee said the United States cannot ignore Tehran’s longstanding calls for America’s destruction.

“If there needs to be a war, there will be a war. For 47 years the Iranian regime has called for the destruction of the United States and supported building the capability to harm Americans. Standing in its way is also the State of Israel,” Huckabee said.

He argued that too many Americans underestimate the implications of Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile array. “On the issue of addressing the nuclear program and the ballistic missile array, too many American citizens do not understand the meaning of the Iranian calls to destroy the United States. There are Iranian and Hezbollah branches throughout South America,” he said.

Huckabee added that Iran’s rhetoric should be taken at face value. “If a government tells you for so many years that it wants to destroy you, maybe it’s worth listening and taking its threats seriously. If for the sake of all our future there needs to be a war, then that’s what will happen.”

Turning to Gaza, Huckabee said Hamas terrorists cannot be permitted to continue operating after the October 7 massacre. “No one thought it was possible to allow the Nazis to continue operating in Germany after World War II, and no one thinks Hamas can continue operating in Gaza after October 7,” he said.

The remarks come as Iran prepares to resume discussions with U.S. officials and as regional tensions remain high. Iranian state-linked media reported that naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have launched exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime passageway.