Meeting of American Senators with Netanyahu; Graham: Either 'Libya Model' or Military Strike on Iran's Nuclear Facilities

Lindsey Graham, a senator from South Carolina, who traveled to Israel with a group of lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties, spoke with reporters about security challenges after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Minister of Defense, and the Foreign Minister. This senior Republican senator emphasized on Monday, February 18, that Israel is a strong friend and close ally of the United States. He stated that the world must soon decide on 'four important issues': the nuclear issue of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the destruction of Hamas, the situation of Palestinians in Gaza, and the presence of American forces in the Middle East. This senior member of the U.S. Senate referred to the 'nuclear ambitions' of the Islamic Republic as the primary challenge and clarified that the Iranian government has accelerated its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, viewing it as a 'insurance policy.' Senator Graham warned that the Iranian government might use nuclear weapons not only as a solution to its problems but one day as a military tool, referencing the weakening of Iranian proxy forces, including the destruction of a significant part of Hamas's capabilities and serious blows to Hezbollah. Graham mentioned that he asked all Israeli officials he spoke with whether they believe that if the Islamic Republic of Iran acquires nuclear weapons, it would use them against Israel. According to him, all responded positively, and he agrees with this assessment. He added that the Trump administration must soon make a decision regarding the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Senator Graham then outlined two paths forward: a military option, where the U.S. helps Israel deliver a decisive blow to Iran's nuclear facilities (a path he said he prefers), and a negotiation option aimed at persuading the Islamic Republic to abandon its nuclear program. Graham emphasized that if the negotiation path is chosen, a specific timeline must be set, and success criteria must be clearly defined. He considered the Libya nuclear disarmament model, where the international community managed to dismantle Muammar Gaddafi's nuclear program, as a diplomatically acceptable option. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, Richard Blumenthal, Adam Schiff, and Andy Kim from the Democratic Party, and Senator Joni Ernst from the Republican Party, traveled to Israel with Lindsey Graham. Earlier, the Persian section of Voice of America reported on February 11 that the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. emphasized in a television interview that the only effective solution to stop Iran's nuclear program is an agreement similar to the Libya model, which includes the complete destruction of nuclear infrastructure and the collection of the country's enriched uranium. Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News reported on February 12, said he prefers an agreement with the Islamic Republic that leads to the elimination of its nuclear program rather than attacking its nuclear facilities. Trump stated, 'I would much rather have an agreement with Iran, where we can agree, monitor, inspect, and then eliminate it or just make sure there is no longer a nuclear program.' Lindsey Graham's remarks, as well as comments from the Israeli ambassador in Washington and U.S. President Donald Trump in recent days, indicate how much attention the Islamic Republic's nuclear program is receiving from Israeli and American officials. On Monday in Tel Aviv, Senator Graham also stated that Israel wants American forces to remain in the Middle East, considering them stabilizing forces. Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated that the Iranian government has shown no interest in an agreement. Rubio said on Sunday, February 18, in an interview with CBS News that Washington has seen 'no' contact from the Islamic Republic and emphasized that the Iranian government 'has shown no interest in any agreement and has not made contact.' He stated that the Iranian government, in its previous diplomatic efforts, was only seeking to extend deadlines while continuing enrichment activities, supporting terrorism, building long-range weapons, and creating instability throughout the region. In recent days, with the further decline of the rial's value in Iran, each U.S. dollar is trading for over 90,000 tomans. The decline in the rial's value occurred after Ali Khamenei opposed negotiations regarding the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.