Senator Lindsey Graham says Israel should take a hard line against Iran in order to secure a hostage deal and de-escalate in the Middle East.
The South Carolina Republican told CNN's "State of the Union" Israel should be ready to hit targets in Iran if its hostages aren't returned by militants in Gaza. Graham went on to claim the October 7th attack on Israel by Iran-backed Hamas was aimed at preventing Arab nations from normalizing relations with Israel.
His comments come after a major escalation in the region when Hezbollah militants in Lebanon launched rockets at Israel in response to what Israel said were "preemptive" strikes it conducted in Lebanon.