Lindsey Graham Demands Iran Proxy Curbs Be Written Into Any Deal as US-Iran Talks Near Finish Line

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is pressing the Trump administration to include explicit penalties against Iran for funding terrorist proxies as part of any peace agreement, warning that a deal silent on the issue would be a "tremendous missed opportunity."

Graham urged President Trump to include strict limits on Iran's support for terror proxies in Lebanon as part of any deal with Tehran, pushing to ensure Hezbollah is addressed as the administration works to finalize a memorandum of understanding.

The senator's intervention comes at a pivotal moment. The proposed MOU would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, lift the US blockade on Iranian ports, and launch 60-day talks on Iran's nuclear program, but Graham argues the framework is dangerously incomplete if it doesn't tackle Iran's proxy network.

"Any deal that does not punish Iran in the future for supporting groups like Hezbollah, whose stated goal is to destroy Israel and control Lebanon through force of arms, would be a tremendous missed opportunity," Graham said. He called for sanctions and other punitive measures to be triggered automatically if Iran continues funding terrorist organizations.

Graham drew a sharp distinction between Iran's nuclear ambitions and its ability to destabilize the region through proxies, arguing the two threats operate independently. Iran's capacity to launch future October 7-style attacks, he said, stems not from its nuclear program but from its enduring commitment to using militant groups as instruments of regional disruption.

A shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has complicated Trump's broader negotiations with Tehran, with Israeli strikes on Hezbollah throwing talks into uncertain territory as Iran raged over what it described as a breach of their broader arrangement with the US.

Graham said he had affirmed support to President Trump for a deal that accepts Trump's demand to open the Strait of Hormuz and begin negotiations on ending Iran's nuclear ambitions and support for terrorism, while insisting Israel must be allowed to neutralize the threats it faces from Hezbollah attacks emanating from Lebanon.

The senator also invoked the Trump first-term playbook, noting that the policy of holding Iran accountable for proxy support was a clearly stated position during Trump's first administration — and calling on Trump 2.0 to maintain that standard.

Graham has previously warned that any deal perceived as allowing Iran to survive and grow stronger over time risks putting Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shia militias in Iraq "on steroids."

With a tentative agreement reportedly covering a 60-day ceasefire extension, Hormuz reopening, and nuclear negotiations still pending final approval from both Trump and Iranian leadership, Graham's push adds pressure on negotiators to broaden the deal's scope before it is signed.