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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Senator Lindsey Graham is facing fury from his fellow Republicans after expressing support for the U.S. seizing Iran's Kharg Island in an interview on Sunday.
In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, the South Carolina Republican, who is one of the leading advocates for the war, urged President Donald Trump to take Kharg Island, which is vital to Iran's oil network, saying: "We did Iwo Jima. We can do this."
Graham's remarks sparked anger from several Republicans, including Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who said he "needs to be removed from the Situation Room."
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Newsweek has contacted Graham's office and the White House for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours.
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Why It Matters
The Trump administration is considering plans to occupy or impose a blockade on Iran's Kharg Island to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported, citing four sources with knowledge of the issue. But such an operation could put U.S. troops more directly in the line of fire.
Graham's support for an escalation in the war comes amid already-widening rifts inside the MAGA-aligned right over the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, with some prominent conservatives arguing the war conflicts with Trump's "America First" promises.
What To Know
When Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream referenced an article in The Atlantic that warned taking and holding the island could lead to a "grinding war of attrition," Graham said: "I'm sorta tired of all this armchair quarterbacking. This has been an amazing military operation. God bless the fallen."
He added: "I trust DOD [Department of Defense]. We got two Marine expeditionary units sailing to this island. We did Iwo Jima. We can do this. The Marines—my money is always on the Marines."
The battle of Iwo Jima, which lasted from February 19 to March 26, 1945, was one of the bloodiest of World War II. Almost 7,000 U.S. troops died and about 20,000 more were wounded, and more than 21,000 Japanese troops died in the battle.
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Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna also criticized Graham for his remarks, writing on social media that she was "deeply upset at the lack of respect for life Senator Lindsey Graham is displaying when talking about our troops. He is acting as if they are expendable cattle. This is unacceptable and dark. There were over 26,000 American casualties at Iwo Jima."
Paul Dans, a chief architect of the conservative initiative Project 2025 and Republican primary challenger against Graham, wrote on X that the four-term senator was "drunk on war and power," adding that he would "send your kids to die so he can line his pockets with money."
Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who was once a close ally of Trump before bitterly breaking with the president and resigning from Congress in January, called Graham a "psychotic neocon." She wrote on social media that he was "willing to send US Marines in to be slaughtered in Iran" and urged South Carolina voters not to reelect him.
What People are Saying
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina wrote on X: "I truly believe 2026 can be the year of ending a 2,000 year-long conflict. Peace is only possible because of the courage of our men and women in uniform and the leadership of President @realDonaldTrump."
Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina wrote on the platform: "Lindsey Graham needs to be removed from the Situation Room. I don't want to hear one word from a guy with no kids, desperately sending our sons and daughters into war on the ground in Iran."
Republican Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee wrote in response to Graham's comments: "We lost 7000 Marines and 20,000 were wounded."
Paul Dans, a Republican candidate in the U.S. Senate election in South Carolina, wrote: "Lady Graham is drunk on war and power. He will send your kids to die so he can line his pockets with money. South Carolina is done with it. June 9th is liberation day."
Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, wrote: "Lindsey Graham is a psychotic neocon who invokes Iwo Jima and is willing to send US Marines in to be slaughtered in Iran instead of working for America to get Homeland Security funded so TSA, ICE, and BPA get paid. South Carolina please vote him out!!!"
What Happens Next
Graham is running for a fifth term in the Senate. Primary elections are scheduled for June 9, with a runoff election on June 23 if no candidate wins a majority in their primary.
Update 3/23/26, 8:09 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with a comment from Republican Representative Tim Burchett.
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