From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 16, 2026
Visiting Israel, senator says US decision on Iran is ‘weeks, not months’ away
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Visiting Israel, US Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham suggests that an American decision on action against Iran is “weeks, not months” away.
The veteran American lawmaker, considered an ally of US President Donald Trump, says in a press briefing in Tel Aviv that he is visiting the country “to reassure the Israeli people there is no light” between the US and Israel on Iran.
“There are two lines in the water right now,” says Graham. “One’s a diplomatic line, trying to find a way to end this regime diplomatically that will advance our national security interest. The other line is the military option.”
Graham, who later meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says that he believes Trump “is looking for which line can catch the biggest fish. Bottom line is we’re in the weeks, not months, in terms of decision-making.”
The US senator avers that “the Iranian ayatollah and his murderous regime are at their weakest point since 1979. Their economy is in shambles. Their military has been degraded. There are people in the streets.”
Graham says that he believes “the risk of regime change is real. There are unknowns. But let me just say this, I’m willing to take that risk. I think the Iranian people have the potential to be a great ally of the United States, Israel, and the region.”
The US and Iran took part in diplomatic talks hosted by Oman earlier this month, and are slated to meet again there next week.
The Times of Israel Community.