Senate Graham: US not going to ‘occupy’ Iran by Ashleigh Fields - 03/01/26 1:06 PM ET by Ashleigh Fields - 03/01/26 1:06 PM ET Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email NOW PLAYING Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday said the U.S. would not “occupy” Iran after a series of U.S.-Israeli joint strikes in the country.  “We’re not going to occupy the country,” Graham said during an appearance on NBC’s “ Meet The Press .” “We’re going to give the people of Iran a chance to do something they’ve never had before: Chart their own destiny.” “We’re going to take away from any future government the ability to have a ballistic missile program, a nuclear program, or support terrorism. That’s what we’re going to do,” he added. “And if out of this comes a new government that we can do business with, great. But having Iran no longer the state sponsor of terrorism opens up historic opportunities.” U.S. and Israeli joint strikes on Saturday killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other political leaders in Tehran, sparking questions about the country’s future leader. On Sunday, the government unveiled an interim leadership council , which includes Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Guardian Council jurist member Ayatollah Alireza Arafi and head of the Iranian judiciary Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, according to Iranian state television Press TV . President Trump said Saturday that the military strikes leave an opening for new leadership, telling Iranians “the hour of freedom is at your hand.” Graham on Sunday said it’s ultimately up to Iranians to decide what comes next.  “The future of Iran is going to be determined by the Iranian people. The new Iran, whatever it is, whether it’s a cleric, or a representative democracy, our goal is to make sure it cannot become again the largest state sponsor of terrorism,” the senator told anchor Kristen Welker.  “That’s a win for us. That’s a win for the region.” Add as preferred source on Google Tags Ali Khamenei Allied Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Donald Trump Kristen Welker Lindsey Graham Masoud Pezeshkian Sen. Lindsey Graham Trump administration U.S. strikes on Iran Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email More Senate News See All Senate Graham turns focus to possible ‘historic’ Saudi-Israeli ties after Iran strikes by Ashleigh Fields 1 hour ago Senate  /  1 hour ago