Foreign Policy

Lindsey Graham Says U.S. Negotiations With Iran Have ‘Hit a Wall’

He also called on the president to follow through with his threats to destroy the country’s energy infrastructure.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks during the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks during the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing titled “A Review of the President’s FY2027 Budget Request for the Department of Defense,” in Dirksen building on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Tom Williams/AP

By Jenna Monnin

May 17, 2026 07:27 p.m.

Sen. Lindsey Graham expressed doubt Sunday that U.S. negotiations with Iran would prove fruitful and called on President Donald Trump to follow through with his threats to strike Iranian energy infrastructure.

“I think we’ve hit a wall when it comes to negotiations,” Graham, a longtime Iran hawk, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

He said the U.S. should take steps to further weaken Iran as a way of pressuring the country’s leaders to accept a deal. “The energy infrastructure is their soft underbelly. If you go back to the fight, I’d put energy on top of the list,” Graham said.