Sen. Lindsey Graham Says Regime Change in Tehran Would Reshape Middle East — and Unlock Oil Wealth.
“Good investment.” “Tonne of money.” Is this war about security — or something bigger?
Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Congress’s most hawkish voices on Iran, said Sunday that removing Tehran’s leadership would not only transform the Middle East but also prove financially beneficial for the United States.
“When this regime goes down, we are going to have a new Middle East, and we are going [to] make a tonne of money,” the South Carolina Republican said in an interview on Fox News, signaling strong support for the ongoing U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran.
Graham suggested that partnerships with oil-rich states such as Iran and Venezuela could shift global energy dynamics. “Venezuela and Iran have 31 percent of the world’s oil reserves,” he said. “This is China’s nightmare. This is a good investment.”
His remarks came as the conflict, triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, entered a new phase marked by escalating Iranian missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.
Iran swiftly rejected the characterization. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused Washington of seeking to partition the country and seize its energy resources. “They aim at partitioning our country to take illegal possession of our oil riches,” he said.
Graham predicted further escalation, warning that the United States would “blow the hell out of these people” and ensure that “nobody will threaten” shipping in the Strait of Hormuz again. He also called on Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to join the fight more directly.
The senator’s comments underscore the ideological divide surrounding the war. Supporters argue that dismantling Iran’s missile and nuclear infrastructure removes a long-standing threat. Critics contend that regime change risks repeating past interventions that destabilized Iraq and Libya.
Graham has supported nearly every major U.S. military campaign in the Middle East over the past two decades, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He has also made multiple trips to Israel in recent months, meeting with officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to U.S. media reports.
In a remark that widened the geopolitical lens, Graham hinted that Cuba could be next on Washington’s agenda. “Free Cuba,” he said, suggesting that U.S. foreign policy was entering a more aggressive phase.
As oil prices surge and regional tensions mount, Graham’s framing of the war as both strategic necessity and economic opportunity is likely to fuel further debate — at home and abroad — about the true objectives of America’s expanding conflict.
