Overview
- - Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Iranian state media confirming his death and Iran responding with retaliatory attacks.
- - U.S. Central Command reported three American service members killed since the operation began, underscoring the risks as regional violence continues.
- - On NBC’s Meet the Press, Sen. Lindsey Graham said it is not the United States’ job to choose Iran’s next leader, insisted there will be no American occupation, and framed the goal as ending Iran’s role as the “largest state sponsor of terrorism.”
- - Graham praised President Trump as the Republican foreign-policy “gold standard,” drawing criticism for saying it’s “not his job” to detail a follow-on plan while Democrats pressed for strategy clarity and possible war-powers action.
- - In a separate Fox News appearance, Graham warned “Cuba is next,” even as questions grew over the administration’s post-strike objectives and the scope of any further U.S. pressure campaigns.