Senate

Graham backs Trump’s Iran ultimatum as deadline approaches: ‘Choose wisely’

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by Ryan Mancini - 04/04/26 12:47 PM ET

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by Ryan Mancini - 04/04/26 12:47 PM ET

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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Saturday said he backs President Trump’s ultimatum for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and make a peace deal with the U.S. within 48 hours, warning Iran to “choose wisely.”

“After speaking with President Trump this morning, I am completely convinced that he wil use overwhelming military force against the regime if they continue to impede the Strait of Hormuz and refuse a diplomatic solution to achieve our military objectives,” Graham wrote on the social platform X.

“If it’s not clear to Iran and others by now that President Trump means what he says then I don’t know when it will ever be,” he added. “Choose wisely.”

Trump said earlier in the day that his 10-day deadline to strike a deal and reopen the strait is quickly approaching.

“Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Glory be to GOD!”

Trump issued the warning after Iran shot down two U.S. warplanes on Friday. Anti-air defenses struck an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet over Iran’s airspace, prompting both crew members to eject. One crew member was found, while the U.S. military launched a search-and-rescue mission to locate the other. The search is ongoing.

The president ramped up his threats against Iran since he addressed the nation on Wednesday. He said the military operation was “near completion” but warned that the U.S. could send Iran “back to the stone ages.” He has since threatened the country with destroying more of its civilian infrastructure, namely its bridges and electrical infrastructure, after U.S. strikes hit a major bridge near Tehran on Thursday.

“IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY!” he wrote in a separate Truth Social post on Thursday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote a letter directed to the American people warning against the Trump administration’s threat to Iran’s power grid. He said on Wednesday, before Trump’s primetime speech, that along with “constituting a war crime, such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran’s borders” and can cause more instability and economic side effects that will take time to resolve.

Trump said in his televised address that the conflict should end within two to three weeks. The U.S. is now over a month into a conflict that Trump initially claimed would last four to five weeks.

His administration has dismissed concerns over rising gas prices, which reached $4.10 on Saturday after it was $1.10 cheaper last month, according to AAA. Trump has predicted that the economy would bounce back fast after the conflict ends, and that the strait will “open naturally” soon after.

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