Days before Senator Lindsey Graham's sudden death Saturday night, mourners at the funeral procession for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei marched through Tehran carrying a poster depicting the senator's face inside a rifle scope's crosshairs, labeled "Target 1: Lindsey Graham," beneath the words "Sooner or later, your heads will roll" and "What happens."
The poster was one of several displayed during the multi day funeral ceremonies held July 4 through 6 in Tehran, which also featured similarly marked images of President Trump, Israeli American philanthropist Miriam Adelson, Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro, commentator Laura Loomer, entrepreneur Peter Thiel, and Foundation for Defense of Democracies chief executive Mark Dubowitz. Footage of demonstrators carrying the posters, filmed amid the crowds gathered at Tehran's Grand Mosalla, circulated widely on social media at the time. Other displays during the funeral included a wall bearing the words "We will kill Trump" and banners offering rewards of up to 120 million dollars for the American president's assassination.
Graham's office announced Saturday night that the senator, 71, had died of what it described as a brief and sudden illness, without providing further details on the cause of death. He had returned only days earlier from a trip to Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and had been scheduled to appear Sunday on Meet the Press.
Graham was among the Senate's most vocal advocates for confronting Iran and one of the chamber's staunchest allies of Israel, and was reported to have advised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year on how to persuade Trump to authorize strikes against Iran. He had also been a leading voice throughout the current war in support of maintaining pressure on the Iranian regime and had set strict conditions for what he considered an acceptable agreement with Tehran.
There is no indication at this stage, from Graham's office or from any US or Israeli official, that his death is connected to the threats displayed during Khamenei's funeral, and the cause remains unconfirmed. Funeral arrangements for Graham have not yet been announced.
