US Senator Lindsey Graham on Thursday rejected media reports claiming President Donald Trump had ruled out military action against Iran, calling the coverage “beyond inaccurate”.
Graham said reports suggesting
Trump had told Tehran he did not plan to launch a military strike were inaccurate and failed to reflect the true position of the Trump administration.
“All the headlines like these are examples of reporting that are beyond inaccurate. The circumstances around the necessary, decisive action to be taken against the evil Iranian regime have nothing to do with President Trump’s will or determination,” Graham wrote on X.
All the headlines like these are examples of reporting that are beyond inaccurate. The circumstances around the necessary, decisive action to be taken against the evil Iranian regime have nothing to do with President Trump’s will or determination.
Nothing could be further from… pic.twitter.com/HrUtg7GfKu
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 15, 2026
The US Senator further remarked, “Nothing could be further from the truth. Quite the opposite. Stay tuned.”
Graham’s comments came after reports said Trump had informed Iran that he did not intend to attack and had asked Tehran to show restraint.
The response also comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran. Up until Wednesday, the United States had been openly threatening military action against Iran if it carried out the death penalty against people arrested during the protests.
At the same time, regional allies were reportedly working to prevent a military escalation. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman led diplomatic efforts to persuade Trump not to strike Iran, according to a senior Saudi official quoted by AFP on Thursday.
The official said the three Gulf states led a “long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort” to convince Trump to give Iran time to show good intentions. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.
Security concerns also increased across the region. Some personnel were moved out of a major US military base in Qatar on Wednesday. US missions in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait warned staff to exercise caution as fears grew of a possible US attack linked to Iran’s crackdown on protesters.
The United States has repeatedly warned that it could intervene over Iran’s deadly response to protests. Tehran, meanwhile, has said it would retaliate by targeting US military bases and shipping if attacked.
(With inputs from agencies)
