U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican, today posted: "I've just had an excellent communication with President Trump regarding his recent statements on the consequences Iran would face if it does not accept a viable peace agreement. I support pursuing diplomatic efforts to end this conflict in alignment with our military objectives, but negotiations require cooperation from both sides. The necessity for military action is measured in weeks, not months—the progress of Operation Epic Fury has far exceeded expectations."
"My long-standing hope has been to open the door to peace by eliminating Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, enabling normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel, thereby fundamentally ending the Arab-Israeli conflict. If this historic normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel is achieved, credit must go to President Trump’s bold and decisive leadership in confronting the Iranian threat—ensuring Iran can no longer disrupt the peace process as it did on October 7, 2023."
"Mr. President, please continue steadfastly. Gradually bring the war to an end, and intensify efforts to achieve this historic peace agreement."
Commentary: Graham’s remarks are a textbook example of hawkish war rhetoric. On one hand, he pretends to support diplomacy; on the other, he issues a military ultimatum measured in weeks, forcibly linking the strike on Iran with the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. At its core, this approach seeks regional peace built upon regime change in Iran and military intimidation. He deliberately glorifies military adventurism and lends legitimacy to maximum pressure, while ignoring Iran’s sovereignty and regional livelihoods, and shutting off all avenues for dialogue. This logic—using peace as a pretext for war—will only make the Middle East conflict harder to resolve. The so-called 'historic peace' is nothing more than a guise for hegemonic expansion.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861096123885579/
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