Members of the Iranian diaspora in London held a candlelight vigil Sunday for Sen. Lindsey Graham hours after the Iran hawk died suddenly at the age of 71.
A few dozen people gathered outside the US Embassy near the Thames River, where they lit candles around a makeshift altar bearing pictures of Graham (R-SC) as well as Iran’s so-called “Lion and Sun” flag, used to communicate resistance to the theocratic regime in Tehran.
“Lindsey Graham, rest in peace,” the crowd chanted. “Rest in peace and rise in power!”
Latest on the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham:
Graham, who died of a suspected aortic dissection at his Washington home Saturday evening, was a longtime advocate of military action against the Islamic Republic — frequently meeting with Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, and wearing “Make Iran Great Again” merchandise during public appearances.
“Lindsey was unabashed. He talked to me about it. He said, ‘You know, you have to do it. You have to do it.’ He came to me and said, ‘Bibi, you have to do it. You have to knock out these nuclear weapons program before they knock us out.’ He was very clear about that,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told NBC’s “Meet The Press.”
“He was so clear, he had clarity, he had courage, he had convictions that he believed were at the basis of America and … like the Superman comics, you remember? ‘Freedom, justice and the American way’? He represented these traditional values,” added the Israeli leader.
Official Iran rejoiced in Graham’s passing Sunday, with a state TV anchor declaring: “I congratulate the great nation of Iran on Lindsey Graham, the warmongering and anti-Iranian US senator, having gone to hell.”
On Sunday evening, the US launched another round of airstrikes targeting Iran’s grip on the vital Strait of Hormuz, with the military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) confirming “military air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats” were among the military assets hit.
The Tampa, Fla.-based combat command confirmed that Sunday’s strikes involved “fighter aircraft, naval vessels, one-way attack aerial drones, and one-way attack sea drones for the first time.”
“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade,” CENTCOM said. “Iran does not control it.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a key power center, responded: “The Strait of Hormuz is our territory, and we will not allow a rogue and child-killing army from the other side of the world to continue its illegal interference in it.”
