JERUSALEM, Israel – Trouble between the U.S. and Iran is escalating with conflicting reports about the Strait of Hormuz, as Israel mourns the loss of Senator Lindsey Graham, one of its closest American friends and allies.
Both Washington and Tehran claim that they control the Strait of Hormuz following strikes on Monday against Iranian targets in retaliation for Iran’s drone and missile attacks against Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
So far, Iran has not targeted Israel. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a statement blaming their most recent strike on a ship in the Strait, alleging that the vessel traveled “along an unauthorized route.”
Earlier, U.S. CENTCOM announced it had struck 140 military targets after Iran “blatantly” attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at a ceremony on Sunday marking 50 years since his brother, Yoni, was killed leading a dramatic operation to rescue more than 100 hostages at Entebbe Airport in Uganda. The prime minister said Israel had averted an existential threat in the fight against Iran.
He declared, “We are systematically crushing the Iranian axis of evil and terror, which sought to advance the plan to destroy Israel by means of a noose of terror it had tightened around us.”
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told CBS Face the Nation a few weeks ago that Iran had to do only one thing: keep the Strait of Hormuz open; they ignored it, forcing the U.S. to return to fighting.
Concerning Israel’s role, he stated, “We’re a partner. We’re an ally. If the United States calls on us to rejoin kinetic activity against Iran, we’re going to be there for the United States.”
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Israelis, meanwhile, were shocked and heartbroken at the sudden death of Lindsey Graham over the weekend. President Isaac Herzog hailed him as a “true friend of Israel” and personally, “a dear friend.”
Herzog noted, “Senator Graham was a beacon of moral clarity who brought an exceptional sense of justice, truth, and loyalty to his decades of public service. He was a maverick in world affairs, and one of Israel’s greatest friends and allies in the United States of America.”
The president added, “He maintained his steadfast and unwavering support for the people of Israel, especially at our most difficult and painful moments. Lindsey understood the profound importance of the U.S.-Israel partnership and tirelessly advocated for our shared values and shared interests.”
