Sen. Lindsey Graham predicts diplomatic talks with Iran will fail

Sen. Lindsey Graham predicted Sunday that diplomatic talks with Iran over its nuclear program and keeping open the Strait of Hormuz will “fail,” but he noted that negotiations are the better path than taking talks off the table.

“Let’s try a diplomatic solution,” the South Carolina Republican said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” “I think it’s going to fail. What happens next?”

Mr. Graham, a staunch Trump ally who said he spent 4½ hours with the president on Friday, described what he thinks will happen if talks ultimately fail.

“If this deal fails, President Trump is going to take the Strait of Hormuz over by force,” he said. “The United States will control the Strait of Hormuz, we’ll charge a fee for all those who go through to pay for the operation and we’re going to expand the Abraham Accords in calendar year 2026.”

“If Iran contests control of the Strait of Hormuz by the United States, we will obliterate them,” he said.

“So to all of the people listening, if this diplomatic effort fails, President Trump is going to take the Strait of Hormuz. We’re going to run it,” Mr. Graham said. “We’re going to try to get Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, end the Arab-Israeli conflict in 2026. And if Iran continues to attack Israel and Lebanon, the new policy will be, we’ll hit Iran.”

Mr. Graham’s comments come as Vice President J.D. Vance began talks with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qailbat and Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi at a Swiss mountainside resort near Lake Lucerne. Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar were also in the room, helping with negotiations.