Cover of Iranian daily Hamshahr, referencing Lindsey Graham
The daily Hamshahri carried front-page illustration depicting Trump and Netanyhau while other US and Israeli officials stand
Several Iranian newspapers prominently featured the death of US Senator Lindsey Graham on their front pages on Sunday, with some publications using the occasion to issue veiled warnings directed at US and its president Donald Trump and other senior American officials.The daily Hamshahri carried a front-page illustration depicting Trump kneeling beside Graham’s portrait, alongside US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior US and Israeli officials. The headline read, “Get Ready for Sudden Death,” while the accompanying text suggested that Trump and other American leaders could face a similar fate.Another newspaper, Vatan-e Emrooz, described Graham as the “Merchant of Death” on its July 13 front page. The publication referred to the South Carolina senator as a leading supporter of US policies against Iran and reported that he had died following what it described as a “sudden illness.”Meanwhile, in Iranian state media, during a broadcast, one newsreader said, “I congratulate the Iranian nation on warmongering anti-Iran US Senator Lindsey Graham being sent to hell.”The remarks have fuelled speculation among some supporters of Trump’s MAGA movement, with several pointing to previous threats issued against Graham by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. Graham has repeatedly argued that Iran’s current leadership should be removed from power, consistently supported military aid to Ukraine and backed Israel during the Gaza conflict. He even drew criticism after suggesting that Israel could be justified in using nuclear weapons in Gaza during the conflict that began in October 2023.Following the attacks on Iran on February 28, Graham publicly called for regime change in Tehran, arguing that removing the Iranian government would reshape the Middle East and create significant economic opportunities despite the financial cost.On the other hand, in the weeks leading up to the latest conflict with Iran, Graham travelled to Israel multiple times, where he met officials from Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad. He said those meetings provided information that he believed was not being shared by the US government.According to The Wall Street Journal, Graham also met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and discussed ways to persuade Trump to support military action against Iran. Graham later said the intelligence presented during those meetings convinced Trump to back the joint military campaign.Ahead of the conflict, Graham had also urged regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to participate in military operations against Iran. More recently, he criticised Saudi Arabia for remaining outside the conflict.
