As for President Donald Trump’s threat to target Iranian sites, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he told Trump that some of the sites could be unlawful targets.
Over the weekend, Trump said that the U.S. had 52 targets in Iran that it would target if Iran attacked any Americans or American assets, as IJR previously reported.
His remarks come shortly after an overnight airstrike in Baghdad by the U.S. killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. Iran’s supreme leader then vowed “harsh retaliation” following the attack.
“The USA wants no more threats!” the president tweeted.
Trump then told reporters on Sunday, “They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn’t work that way.”
Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American, & badly wounded many others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime, including recently….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
….targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
In response to Trump’s remarks, Graham said he spoke to the president about the threat, “I said we’re not at war with the culture of the Iranian people. […] Cultural sites, religious sites are not lawful targets,” according to The Hill.
The Republican senator continued, “Putting cultural sites on the table as a military target, I think, undercuts what we’re trying to do.”
Defense Secretary Mark Esper has said that the U.S. would not be conducting attacks on those sites.
Graham was among other Republican lawmakers who praised the Trump administration for the airstrike — a stark contrast from the Democrats who criticized Trump for the move.
“Wow – the price of killing and injuring Americans has just gone up drastically,” Graham tweeted on Jan. 2 in his response to the airstrike, adding, “Major blow to Iranian regime that has American blood on its hands.”
House Democrats are expected to introduce and vote on a resolution, “War Powers Resolution,” that would aim to “limit the President’s military actions regarding Iran,” as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced on Sunday. Graham, however, has made it clear that he would oppose the resolution.
“The last thing America needs is 535 Commanders in Chief,” Graham tweeted on Monday, adding, “Americans elected one: [Donald Trump].”