US Senator on Iranian Nuclear Deal: Either the “Libyan Model” or a Decisive Military Strike

US Senator on Iranian Nuclear Deal: Either the “Libyan Model” or a Decisive Military Strike

US Senator Lindsey Graham stated that he discussed security challenges with officials. The prominent Republican senator confirmed, yesterday, Monday, February 17, during his talk to reporters, that Israel is a strong friend and close ally of the United States.

He said that the world will soon face four major issues that require decisive decisions: the Iranian nuclear file, the elimination of Hamas, the situation of the Palestinians in Gaza, and the presence of US forces in the Middle East. Graham referred to the “nuclear ambitions” of the Iranian regime as the first challenge, stressing that Tehran has accelerated its efforts to possess a nuclear weapon, and views it as an “insurance policy” for its regime.

He also warned that Iran may not consider nuclear weapons as a mere means of resolving its crises, but may use them in the future as a tool of war. He added that armed groups affiliated with Iran, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, have been severely damaged, which has weakened Tehran's influence in the region.

The US senator pointed out that he asked all the Israeli officials he met whether Iran would use nuclear weapons against Israel if it possessed them, explaining that they all answered "yes", which he said he agreed with. He added that the Trump administration will soon need to make a decision regarding the Iranian nuclear program.

Graham suggested two paths to deal with this issue: the first is the military option, whereby the United States will help Israel in directing a decisive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, which is the option he said he prefers, and the second is the path of negotiations, which aims to convince Iran to abandon its nuclear program.

He stressed that if the diplomatic path is chosen, a clear time frame must be set for it, and specific criteria must be set for its success. He also considered that the "Libyan model", which witnessed the dismantling of the nuclear program of the Muammar Gaddafi regime through the efforts of the international community, represents an acceptable diplomatic option.

Graham was accompanied on his visit to Israel by a number of Democratic senators: Sheldon Whitehouse, Richard Blumenthal, Adam Schiff, and Andy Kim, in addition to Republican Senator Joni Ernst.

The "Libyan Model" of the Nuclear Deal

Previously, the Israeli ambassador to Washington stressed during a television interview that the only effective solution to stop the Iranian nuclear program is an agreement similar to the Libyan model, which includes the complete destruction of the nuclear infrastructure and the collection of enriched uranium in the country.

In an interview with "Fox News" broadcast on February 12, US President Donald Trump said that he prefers to reach an agreement with Iran that leads to the dismantling of its nuclear program, rather than resorting to a military option to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.

Trump added: "I am more inclined to reach an agreement with Iran, where we can agree and monitor and verify and inspect, and then either dismantle it completely or ensure that there is no nuclear program at all."

It is worth noting that Lindsey Graham's statements, along with those of the Israeli ambassador to Washington and the US president, reflect the importance of the Iranian nuclear file to Israeli and American officials in recent days.

In a related context, Senator Graham said yesterday, Monday, in Tel Aviv that Israel supports the continued presence of US forces in the Middle East, considering it an element of stability in the region. As for US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he stated that the Iranian government has not shown any interest in reaching a new nuclear agreement.

In an interview with CBS on Sunday, February 16, Rubio confirmed that Washington has not received "any communications" from Tehran, noting that the Iranian regime "has not shown any desire to reach an agreement and has not communicated with us in this regard."

He added that Iran, during its previous diplomatic attempts, was only seeking to buy time, while continuing to enrich uranium, support terrorism, develop long-range weapons, and destabilize the region.

This comes at a time when the value of the Iranian currency has declined further, with the exchange rate of the US dollar exceeding 90,000 tomans. The decline accelerated after Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei refused to hold any negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.