Report: Leading GOP senator urges Trump to ignore advisers opposing Iran strike

US Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, is urging President Donald Trump to press ahead with military action against Iran, warning against advisers counseling restraint as the White House weighs its options, Axios reports.

“I understand concerns about major military operations in the Middle East, given past entanglements. However, the voices who counsel against getting entangled seem to ignore the consequences of letting evil go unchecked,” Graham tells the news outlet.

Graham, who recently visited the Middle East and met with leaders in Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, says he believes there is an opportunity “to bring about historic change” in Iran. However, he adds, “it’s increasingly clear to me that voices opposing entanglement and the risk associated with decisive action are getting louder. Time will tell as to how this plays out.”

“I have a lot of respect for President Trump. He is his own man,” Graham says. “And as with all presidents, he will be held responsible for his decisions on such weighty matters. As to me, history will be very clear as to where I stood, for better or worse.”

The remarks come as two US aircraft carriers and hundreds of warplanes are positioned in the region, and Trump has been presented with military options that include targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba, according to Axios. At the same time, senior US officials say the president has not yet made a final decision.

Some of Trump’s advisers are reportedly urging him to hold off on strikes and continue leveraging the military buildup to extract concessions from Tehran. A senior official previously told Axios the US would consider an Iranian proposal allowing limited “token” uranium enrichment, provided it blocks any path to a nuclear bomb.