Iranian opposition leader Reza Pahlavi described Lindsey Graham as a steadfast supporter of the Iranian people, while reports said regime-linked social media circulated graphics celebrating the senator’s death.
US Senator Lindsey Graham, whose death drew sharply contrasting reactions from Iranian state media and leaders in the United States and Israel. (Photo: Reuters via ANI)
The death of senior US Senator Lindsey Graham triggered sharply contrasting reactions on Sunday, with Iran’s state media celebrating the development even as US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian opposition figures paid tribute to the veteran Republican lawmaker.
According to Iranian state-aligned media reports cited by ANI, broadcasters in Tehran aired hostile commentary following Graham’s death, while leaders outside Iran remembered him as a key political ally and a strong supporter of their causes.
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Tasnim, an Iranian news agency affiliated with the regime, carried a headline that read: “Graham dies, taking the destruction of Iran to the grave.”
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The tone was echoed on Iranian state television. A presenter said, “This news is so sweet that I’m reading it twice,” before claiming the “war-mongering anti-Iran senator has gone straight to hell.”
Social media accounts linked to supporters of the Iranian regime also celebrated the news.
One widely circulated graphic reportedly showed several people identified as targets for revenge following the February attack on Iran. Graham’s image alone had been crossed out with a red “X”. The graphic also carried the message: “We will continue to update.”
The response from Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi stood in stark contrast to that of Tehran’s state media.
Pahlavi offered condolences and described Graham as a “steadfast friend of the Iranian people” who consistently backed freedom and supported opponents of Iran’s ruling establishment.
The senator had earlier addressed Iranian opposition supporters in Munich in February, where he said: “I choose the Iranian people over the murderous ayatollah. It is time for him to go.”
According to Pahlavi, Graham’s support for the Iranian opposition and the Lion and Sun Revolution earned him the affectionate nickname “Uncle Lindsey” among many Iranians.
President Donald Trump praised Graham, calling him “one of the greatest people and senators I have ever known” and remembering him as a “hard-working patriot.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also paid tribute, saying: “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”
The 71-year-old South Carolina senator died unexpectedly on Saturday evening after what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness”.
US media reports cited by ANI said emergency responders had earlier attended a suspected cardiac arrest at Graham’s Capitol Hill residence.
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