‘No, I Don’t Want to Invade Iran’: Graham Dismisses Claim He Wants U.S. Assets Used for Iranian Regime Change

Thursday on FNC’s “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that while he was a proponent of regime change in Iran, he did not want to see U.S. intervention to bring it about.

Partial transcript as follows:

WATTERS: So the sites are obliterated and Lindsey Graham wants regime change. Is that what you’re saying? You want to go in and topple the Ayatollah? How would we do that?

GRAHAM: I don’t remember that part. You’re getting to be Natasha here.

WATTERS: Nasty Natasha?

GRAHAM: No, I don’t want to invade Iran. I don’t want to put American soldiers on the ground, but I would love to see the Ayatollah go away or change, wouldn’t you? All of them.

WATTERS: Yes, I mean, I’d like to see all the guys that hate America go but —

GRAHAM: Yes.

WATTERS: But it is just — it is not always the best way to do it, is to get the U.S. military involved. Do you think the U.S. military should get involved in regime change in Iran?

GRAHAM: Absolutely not. Okay. Okay. So the bottom line is, I hope the Iranian people will change course. The Ayatollah could change, I guess. But here’s a test. I don’t mind negotiating even the Ayatollah.

I want peace. I’m willing to live in peace with this regime, if they will live in peace with us. So the first question to ask the Ayatollah before you negotiate, are you still willing — are you willing to change your policy where you advocate to kill all the Jews and destroy Israel?

In other words, will you admit Israel has a right to exist before we sit down and talk? And if they won’t say that, you know, they’re not really serious about peace. But no, I don’t want to invade Iran. I don’t want to get us involved with the war of Iranians, but I do want this regime to change. I’d love for the Ayatollah to be replaced by somebody that would live in peace with us, but that’s up to the Iranian people.

WATTERS: I loved how you said that. I don’t want regime change, but I want the regime to change.

GRAHAM: I do. You don’t?

WATTERS: As we all do. Of course, this guy —

GRAHAM: Good. Good. Good.

WATTERS: This guy is not a good guy. We all — we all want that. It’s just a little dicey.

GRAHAM: Well, it is not about him. Wait a minute, Jesse, it’s not about him being a good guy. He wants to kill every Jewish person in Israel because they’re Jewish. He’s a religious Nazi. He wants to kill us.

WATTERS: Right.

GRAHAM: He has American blood on his hands.

WATTERS: No, absolutely. He’s a bad guy. When I say he’s a bad guy, he is a bad guy. I get it.

GRAHAM: I hate this regime.

WATTERS: We agree.

GRAHAM: Yes, we agree.

WATTERS: He’s a bad hombre, as you say.

GRAHAM: That’s right.

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