Lindsey Graham (R-SC) just pulled a U-turn, walking back his earlier call to seize Iran’s Kharg Island, a major oil hub in the Persian Gulf. Just weeks ago, Graham had urged Donald Trump to send U.S. forces to capture the island, which handles around 90% of Iran’s oil exports. Then, in a surprising reversal, he went on Fox News and said the U.S. shouldn’t take the island at all.
Graham first made his call on March 22, when he appeared on Fox News Sunday. At the time, the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran was just three weeks old. “Keep it up for a few more weeks, take Kharg Island, where all of the resources they have to produce oil,” Graham said. “Control that island. Let this regime die on a vine.”
Graham also referenced the Battle of Iwo Jima, a major World War II conflict where U.S. Marines suffered heavy losses. “We did Iwo Jima, we can do this,” he said, adding that his “money’s always on the Marines.”
Graham’s flip-flop on Kharg Island drew sharp criticism from fellow Republicans
Then, on Monday’s edition of Hannity, Graham reversed course. “I’m not a real advocate of taking Kharg Island,” he said. “I think we oughta tell the Iranians we will destroy it from the air.” He claimed this approach would still achieve his goal of stopping Iran from funding terrorism and advancing its nuclear program.
The reversal drew quick criticism from some of his Republican colleagues. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) said Graham had a pattern of backing military action without thinking through the consequences, stating that “he was wrong about Iraq, he was wrong about Afghanistan, and now he’s wrong about Iran.” It is worth noting that Trump has previously claimed the authority to wage war without congressional approval, a stance that has drawn its own share of controversy.
Lindsey Graham Does 180 on Fox News, Says U.S. Shouldn’t Be ‘Taking Kharg Island’ Just Weeks After He Told Trump, ‘Take Kharg Island’ #Mediaite https://t.co/DgPfbS3yRJ
— #TuckFrump (@realTuckFrumper) May 5, 2026
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), an Air Force veteran, was also outraged. She said Graham was showing a “lack of respect for life” and treating U.S. troops like “expendable cattle.” She pointed out that the Battle of Iwo Jima resulted in over 26,000 American casualties, making it one of the bloodiest battles in U.S. Marine Corps history. For Luna, invoking that battle so casually to push for another military operation was deeply troubling.
Lindsey Graham on Kharg Island: "We did Iwo Jima. We can do this."
— Ounka (@OunkaOnX) March 22, 2026
Iwo Jima cost 6,800 American lives in 36 days. So, He's ready to sacrifice more Americans for Israel pic.twitter.com/oPVcr1wu02
The criticism did not stop there. Graham’s shifting position raised broader questions about how hawkish lawmakers in Washington approach military decisions. Many observers noted that senators who push aggressively for military action rarely face the consequences that soldiers on the ground do, and Luna’s response reflected that frustration directly.
Meanwhile, the broader conflict in the region continues to escalate. The U.S. and Iran have exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has restricted since the war began on February 28. In response, the U.S. has imposed a blockade on Iran, pushing oil prices sharply higher, with Brent crude futures trading around $114 a barrel.
This comes amid a wider pattern of Trump using global oil supply as a geopolitical pressure tool, which has rattled markets and drawn international concern. Graham’s reversal has left many questioning his judgment, especially given how firm and clear his original position was. As the U.S. and Israel continue their war with Iran, his shifting stance on Kharg Island is something that both policymakers and political observers will be keeping a close eye on.
