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Iranian newspapers celebrated the death of US Senator Lindsey Graham and warned Donald Trump of "sudden death." The coverage, coupled with a state media broadcast, fuelled conspiracy theories among Donald Trump's MAGA supporters.
Photo: Iranian Newspaper Humshahari
New Delhi,UPDATED: Jul 13, 2026 12:14 IST
Iranian newspapers are celebrating the death of Donald Trump's close ally Lindsey Graham, with Hamshahri going so far as to warn that the US President and other American officials could meet a "sudden death."
Hamshahri splashed a front page featuring an illustration of President Donald Trump kneeling on one knee beside a picture of Lindsey Graham, alongside US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior US and Israeli officials, under the headline "Get Ready for Sudden Death" following the US senator's death.
Meanwhile, the Iranian newspaper Vatan-e Emrooz splashed Graham's death across its July 13 front page with the headline "Death of the Merchant of Death."
The newspaper described Graham as a key supporter of US policies against Iran and said he died following what it called a "sudden illness."
Meanwhile, an Iranian state media newsreader appeared to insinuate Tehran's involvement in Graham's death, declaring: "I congratulate the Iranian nation on warmongering anti-Iran US Senator Lindsey Graham being sent to hell."
The report fuelled conspiracy theories among members of Donald Trump's MAGA base, with many citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) earlier death threats against Graham as they called for an investigation into his death.
Lindsey Graham has long been regarded as one of the most outspoken advocates of an aggressive US foreign policy. The South Carolina senator consistently backed military assistance to Ukraine in its war against Russia, strongly supported Israel during the conflict in Gaza, and repeatedly argued that Iran's current leadership should be removed from power.
He also courted controversy by suggesting Israel could be justified in using nuclear weapons in Gaza, where the conflict that erupted in October 2023 continued despite a ceasefire agreement reached with Hamas a year later.
Following the February 28 attacks on Iran, Graham openly called for the Iranian government to be overthrown. Speaking to Fox News, he said the financial cost of such an effort would be worthwhile, arguing that the fall of the regime would reshape the Middle East and generate significant economic opportunities.
In the weeks leading up to the latest conflict with Iran, Graham travelled to Israel several times and met officials from the country's intelligence agency, Mossad. He remarked that those meetings provided insights that, according to him, were not being shared by his own government.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Graham also held discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during those visits and advised him on how to persuade President Donald Trump to support military action against Iran. Graham later claimed that intelligence presented by Netanyahu convinced Trump to back the joint campaign.
In the run-up to the conflict, Graham also urged regional powers, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to participate in military operations against Iran, arguing that both countries possessed the capability to do so. More recently, he slammed Saudi Arabia for staying out of the conflict.
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Published By:
Sayan Ganguly
Published On:
Jul 13, 2026 12:14 IST
