Tehran, Iran – Web Desk: Iran has issued a sharply worded condemnation following the death of US Senator Lindsey Graham, with the foreign ministry describing the late Republican lawmaker’s political legacy as one of “malice, aggression, and intimidation” .
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters on Monday that “our people will not mourn a man whose philosophy on life was aggression and intimidation,” adding that “his entire being was malicious” .
Celebrations and Warnings in Iranian Media
The official response came as Iranian state media openly celebrated Graham’s passing. One state television presenter was reported to have “congratulated” the Iranian nation over the “war-mongering, anti-Iran US senator” being “sent to hell” .
The state-run newspaper Hamshahri published an illustration on its front page showing President Donald Trump kneeling beside Graham’s picture under the headline “Get Ready for Sudden Death” . The graphic, which also included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other US officials, was seen by analysts as a chilling warning to American and Israeli leadership .
Graham’s Hardline Record on Iran
Graham, 71, died on Saturday evening after what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness” . A preliminary medical examination indicated a ruptured aorta as the cause of death .
The senator was one of Washington’s most vocal Iran hawks. He publicly called for the overthrow of Iran’s leadership and urged President Trump to pursue military action against Tehran. In a February speech to Iranian opposition supporters in Munich, Graham declared: “I choose the Iranian people over the murderous ayatollah. It is time for him to go” .
Following the February 28 attacks on Iran, Graham argued that regime change would bring economic opportunities, stating: “When this regime goes down, we are going to have a new Middle East, and we are going to make a tonne of money” .
The harsh Iranian response reflects the deep animosity generated by Graham’s decades-long advocacy for an interventionist US foreign policy, including his support for Israel, Ukraine, and sanctions against Iran .
