Palmetto State News

Three Ways to Confront Iran

By Senator Lindsey Graham

The Wall Street Journal

August 5, 2024

Iran and its proxies have intensified their attacks on Israel and U.S. interests in the Middle East, beginning with Hamas’s incursion of Oct. 7. Much of the blame belongs to the Biden-Harris administration for deciding not to enforce sanctions against Tehran. When President Trump left office, Iran was exporting 300,000 barrels of oil a day. By October 2023, that figure was up to 1.4 million barrels a day. That generates money to fund Iran’s top export: terrorism.

For too long, the U.S. has at best played defense when it comes to Iran. It’s time to go on offense. To that end, I have introduced a series of bills:

I call my first proposal the terrorism tariff. If a nation buys oil or gas from Iran, the U.S. would levy a tariff on all imports from that country. By buying cheap Iranian oil, China, India and others are enriching the ayatollahs, cheating the market, and blatantly violating sanctions. My proposal would make these countries choose between cheap Iranian oil and normal business with the U.S.

The second proposal is a resolution declaring that any Hezbollah attack on Israel is an Iranian attack on Israel. This was the position President John F. Kennedy took in the Cuban Missile Crisis—any attack emanating from Cuba would be considered an attack by the Soviet Union on the U.S.

Hezbollah is getting more provocative, and the U.S. and Israel need to recognize that the problem doesn’t begin in Lebanon. Iranian oil refineries should be on the target list if Hezbollah or other Iranian proxies continue to attack Israel.

My third proposal lays out definitive red lines for Iran’s nuclear program. If Iran crosses these lines, the U.S. would be authorized to use military force against Iran.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said recently that Iran has narrowed its nuclear breakout time—how long it would take to produce enough weapons-grade uranium to make a bomb—to a week or two.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence published an assessment that found “Iran continues to increase the size of its uranium stockpile, increase its enrichment capacity, and develop, manufacture, and operate advanced centrifuges.” Under my proposal, if it is determined that Iran holds uranium enriched to weapons-grade level or possesses a nuclear warhead capable of threatening national security interests of the U.S., then the president would be authorized to take military action.

It is hard to imagine a worse disaster for the world than if Iran acquires nuclear capability.

Until Iranians understand what they can’t do, they will continue to sow chaos.

The only thing the Iranian regime will respect is strength.

We live in dangerous times; standing up to Iran is crucial for preventing further bloodshed and upheaval in the Middle East and protecting America.

Mr. Graham is a Republican senator from South Carolina.

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