Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), among the most outspoken pro-Israel lawmakers in Congress, issued a rare call for restraint Sunday after an Israeli attack targeting Iranian oil refineries sparked an outbreak of “toxic rain” that officials said could cause chemical burns and lung damage.
“There will be a day soon that the Iranian people will be in charge of their own fate, not the murderous ayatollah’s regime,” Graham wrote Sunday in a social media post on X.
“In that regard, please be cautious about what targets you select. Our goal is to liberate the Iranian people in a fashion that does not cripple their chance to start a new and better life when this regime collapses. The oil economy of Iran will be essential to that endeavor.”
The Israeli attack on Iranian oil refineries was so wide-ranging that it left U.S. officials taken aback, Axios reported on Sunday, with one senior U.S. official telling the outlet that they didn’t “think it was a good idea,” speaking on the condition of anonymity.
An Israeli official, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Axios that the U.S. message to Israel after the attack was “WTF,” an abbreviation for “what the f---.”
The attacks hit oil refineries in Tehran, a densely populated city of more than 9 million people, with Iran’s Red Crescent Society urging residents to shelter indoors.
Graham was among the most vocal advocates for a U.S. strike on Iran ahead of the Trump administration’s attack earlier this month. He also has a long record of backing military action against other nations throughout his career, including against Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mexico, North Korea, Syria and Venezuela, among other nations.
Our allies in Israel have shown amazing capability when it comes to collapsing the murderous regime in Iran. America is most appreciative.
However, there will be a day soon that the Iranian people will be in charge of their own fate, not the murderous ayatollah’s regime.
In…
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 9, 2026