Lindsey Graham wanted to convince Trump to attack Hezbollah – until Netanyahu dissuaded him

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly dissuaded the late Senator Lindsey Graham from trying to convince President Trump to strike Hezbollah.

By World Israel News Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discouraged the late US senator Lindsey Graham from lobbying President Donald Trump to expand direct American military involvement from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to previously unaired documentary footage reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The March 4, 2026 conversation reportedly occurred as Graham was preparing to travel to Florida to persuade Trump to join Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah. Netanyahu urged the South Carolina Republican to avoid widening US involvement while Israel and the US were focused on Iran.

“We’re concentrating right now on Iran,” Netanyahu told Graham during the call.

Netanyahu reportedly warned that threatening Hezbollah with an all-out campaign could deter the Iranian-backed terrorist group, but actually launching such an operation would eliminate its incentive to exercise restraint. Graham accepted the prime minister’s argument.

“That’s actually good counsel,” Graham replied.

The exchange was captured by filmmaker Alex Holder, who began following Graham in 2023 and accumulated hundreds of hours of footage for a documentary tentatively titled Lindsey’s Game. The film, which has not yet been released, chronicles Graham’s foreign-policy activities and his relationships with Trump, Netanyahu and other international leaders.

The footage portrays Graham as an energetic behind-the-scenes advocate for the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began with major strikes on February 28.

Speaking to his staff after the opening attacks, Graham reportedly said Trump was highly enthusiastic about the operation. The senator also complained that too few administration officials and Republicans were publicly defending the war.

“Very few people are out selling this war from the administration. I’m shocked,” Graham said.

Graham had advocated confronting Iran for years and used his close relationships with both Trump and Netanyahu to press for a more aggressive US policy. The documentary footage reportedly shows him speaking with military officials, Israeli representatives and foreign leaders as he sought to build support for the campaign.

He also traveled to Saudi Arabia in an effort to obtain Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s backing for the war. Graham reportedly suggested to Netanyahu that Israel and Saudi Arabia could normalize relations following the fall of the Iranian regime, but the Israeli leader again urged him to focus first on the immediate campaign against Tehran.

The footage also revealed Graham’s doubts about Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, two of Trump’s leading diplomatic representatives.

During a conversation with Jake Sullivan, who served as national security adviser under former president Joe Biden, Graham reportedly argued that Secretary of State Marco Rubio should take the leading role in negotiations involving Iran.

Graham said Kushner and Witkoff were too conflicted to handle the effort, although the meaning of his remark was unclear. It was not established whether he was alleging conflicts of interest or saying that the two men faced competing policy considerations.

A White House official defended the two envoys, calling them “excellent dealmakers whose results speak for themselves.”

Graham initially predicted that the war would conclude within several weeks. As the conflict continued, however, the senator reportedly became increasingly concerned that Trump was losing momentum and considered personally intervening with the president again.

The report highlights the unusual role Graham played in shaping debates over US policy toward Israel, Iran and the broader Middle East. Although he did not hold a formal position in the Trump administration, he enjoyed extensive access to the president and frequently communicated directly with Netanyahu and other foreign leaders.

It also presents Netanyahu in the unexpected position of restraining Graham, one of Washington’s most outspoken advocates for using military force against Iran and its regional allies.

Graham died suddenly on July 11 at age 71. Preliminary findings attributed his death to an aortic dissection, according to his office.

The South Carolina senator had spent more than three decades in Congress and was regarded as one of Israel’s strongest supporters in Washington. He was also a leading advocate for Ukraine and a proponent of an assertive US foreign policy.

Netanyahu is expected to attend Graham’s memorial service in Washington during his current US trip, which also includes an anticipated meeting with Trump.