Addressing hundreds of thousands of Iranian protesters at a Munich rally, Graham stated, "It is a time of choosing. I choose the Iranian people over the murderous ayatollah."

MUNICH, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 14: Sen. Lindsey Graham, Member of the US Senate, speaks to the people during the demonstration for human rights in Iran at Theresienwiese during the 62nd Munich Security Conference on February 14, 2026 in Munich, Germany.

(photo credit: Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)

By ALEX WINSTON

JULY 12, 2026 12:09

Updated: JULY 12, 2026 16:55

The passing of US Senator Lindsey Graham on Saturday brought tributes from many political sides, notably from Iranian opposition voices who recalled him as one of the strongest American backers of the Iranian people's fight against the Islamic Republic.

Graham passed at age 71 after what his office called a brief and sudden illness.

Over the past year, Graham stood out in Washington as a leading voice for supporting the Iranian opposition and ramping up pressure on the Islamic Republic, often urging the US to side with the Iranian people instead of their leaders.

At a rally in Munich on February 14 before hundreds of thousands of Iranian demonstrators, Graham said, "It is a time of choosing. I choose the Iranian people over the murderous ayatollah. It is time for him to go."

With the pre-1979 Lion and Sun flag in hand, Graham told the crowd, "Liberation is at hand. The Iranian people will be your friend. They will be your ally. Stand with the Iranian people. They deserve their freedom."

After the event, Graham posted on X that speaking at the demonstration ranked as one of the highlights of his life.

"I have chosen the Iranian people over the ayatollah," he wrote. "I believe they could be good allies of the United States. 2026 is the time of choosing. I've chosen the brave Iranian people over their oppressor."

In a CNN interview during the Munich Security Conference, Graham noted risks in regime change but said they were less than the threats from letting the Islamic Republic endure.

"If Iran's regime stays standing," he cautioned, Iranian dissidents would face elimination while Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis would gain strength.

'Don't let this moment pass'

He expressed hope that diplomacy might oust the regime but stressed: "We've had it with this regime. Think big. Don't let this moment pass."

Graham held this view even amid US diplomatic moves with Tehran. On CBS's Face the Nation in June, he backed talks yet doubted their success.

"Let's try a diplomatic solution," he said. "I think it's going to fail."

He also cautioned that if Iran moved to contest US control of the Strait of Hormuz, "we will obliterate them."

Soon after, Graham voiced hope for a peaceful end, noting the United States had an historic chance via diplomacy to settle the conflict with Iran and block Tehran from gaining nuclear arms.

Graham was a key American political backer of exiled Iranian opposition leader Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, meeting him in Washington in January and saying, "I believe with all my heart that help is on the way."

'A steadfast friend of the Iranian people'

After Graham's death, Pahlavi called him a steadfast friend of the Iranian people and a proud defender of freedom.

"At moments when moral clarity was required, Senator Graham stood on the right side," Pahlavi posted on X. "His support for Iran's Lion and Sun Revolution earned him the title 'Uncle Lindsey' among Iranians. He will be remembered with profound gratitude and deep respect."

Graham also drew frequent criticism from the Islamic Republic.

At Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's funeral in Tehran last week, posters showed Graham and other Western officials with red crosshairs over their faces.