From 'Pakistan As Mediator Is Problematic' To '500% Tariffs On India': Lindsey Graham's Most Explosive Remarks

Published 12 July 2026 · local

From 'Pakistan As Mediator Is Problematic' To '500% Tariffs On India': Lindsey Graham's Most Explosive Remarks Published By, Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 13:27 IST

From 'Pakistan As Mediator Is Problematic' To '500% Tariffs On India': Lindsey Graham's Most Explosive Remarks Published By, Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 13:27 IST Throughout his political career, Graham often found himself at the centre of controversy over his remarks on foreign policy and international affairs. Rapid Read US Senator Lindsey Graham was a staunch ally of Israel [Reuters] US Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and a close ally of President Donald Trump, died at the age of 71 on Saturday evening following a brief and sudden illness. His office confirmed his death in a post on X on Sunday. Throughout his political career, Graham often found himself at the centre of controversy over his remarks on foreign policy and international affairs. ‘500% Tariffs’ On India In January this year, Graham said Trump had “greenlit" the Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill, legislation the senator said he had worked on for months.

The bill would allow the US President to impose tariffs of up to 500 per cent on countries, including India, that buy Russian oil. The Republican senator said the bill would “allow" Trump to “punish countries that buy cheap Russian oil, fueling Putin’s war machine". The following month, Graham claimed that India had reduced its purchases of Russian oil “dramatically" and said the tariffs imposed by Trump on New Delhi were a “good example" of how policy measures could influence countries’ actions. ‘Kill Khamenei’ During an interview on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Graham backed Trump’s approach towards Iran, saying the US President had stood with “the people over the ayatollah". He described Iran’s then-supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as “the modern-day Hitler", a “religious Nazi", and a “horrible person." “It’s time for him to go. The people want him to go," Graham said. “If I were you, Mr President, I would kill the leadership that is killing the people.

You’ve got to end this," he added. During the interview, Graham also argued that removing Iran’s supreme leader would help bring peace to the region. ‘Who Gives S*** Who Owns Greenland?’ At the Munich Security Conference in Germany in February, Graham dismissed concerns over the controversy surrounding Greenland. When Politico asked what he would say to his “friends from Europe" who were “nervous" about the issue, Graham replied, “If you’re nervous, have a beer, go see a doctor." “Greenland is behind us, but the goal is to get outcomes. Who gives a s*** who owns Greenland? I don’t," Graham said. ‘Pakistan As Mediator Is Problematic’ In May, Graham questioned Pakistan’s role as a potential mediator in the US-Iran conflict and urged Islamabad to diplomatically recognise Israel. “It has been apparent to me for quite a while that Pakistan as a mediator is more than problematic. Their animosity towards Israel is long-standing. It is undeniable that Iranian military aircraft are being housed on Pakistani air bases, and past rhetoric from the highest Pakistani officials against Israel is disturbing," Graham said in a post on X.