Lindsey Graham says “the Ayatollah” can tell Moscow what would happen if President Donald Trump’s ultimatum is ignored
US Senator Lindsey Graham has cited the recent bombing of Iran when issuing a veiled military threat against Russia and its trading partners, urging them to heed an ultimatum delivered this week by President Donald Trump.
On Monday, Trump announced he would impose economic sanctions on Russia and countries that buy Russian goods unless the conflict in Ukraine is resolved within 50 days. Graham, who co-sponsored a bipartisan bill supporting such sanctions, backed the ultimatum by referencing last month’s US military operation against Iran.
”If [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and others are wondering what happens on day 51, I would suggest they call the Ayatollah,” Graham wrote in a post on X.
”If I were a country buying cheap Russian oil, propping up Putin’s war machine, I would take President Trump at his word,” he added.
.@POTUS‘ announcement yesterday about sending American-made weapons – paid for by Europeans – to Ukraine through NATO was welcome news.Equally important was his statement that if the fighting had not ended in 50 days, he would impose up to 100% tariffs on countries buying…
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 15, 2025
Russian officials have maintained that no foreign pressure will prevent Moscow from pursuing its core objectives in the Ukraine conflict. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Western governments are harming their own economies by seeking to impose further restrictions.
In June, Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in what it described as a preemptive strike aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Following retaliatory attacks from Iran, Israeli officials threatened to assassinate Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
After 12 days of hostilities, the US escalated its involvement, shifting from intercepting Iranian missiles bound for Israel to directly targeting hardened nuclear infrastructure inside Iran. President Trump claimed the attacks “obliterated” the facilities.
Moscow condemned both the US and Israel for what it described as acts of aggression that undermine the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.
Graham’s bill, co-introduced with Senator Richard Blumenthal, proposes imposing tariffs of up to 500% on imports from countries that continue purchasing Russian raw materials. Graham described the legislation as a “sledgehammer” that Congress should hand to Trump, with China being its primary intended target.
On Tuesday, Beijing reiterated its principled opposition to sanctions. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said “dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way” to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
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