'If Iran attacks Israel, regime becomes target,' says US senator

WASHINGTON

US Senator Lindsey Graham on Saturday warned Iran after it vowed revenge on Israel following an attack on its Syria consulate.

"If you believe President Biden saying 'don’t' to Iran is an effective deterrent, then you have missed a lot. It’s not the words the President uses when it comes to the bad guys. It’s what they think the President will do.

"We need to make it clear to Iran that if they attack Israel, the regime becomes a target. Anything less will not work," Graham said on X.

His remarks came a day after President Joe Biden said "Don't," when asked what his message to Iran was.

"We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed," he told reporters.

Asked by a reporter how imminent an Iranian attack is, Biden said his expectation is "sooner than later."

On Saturday afternoon, Biden will return to Washington to consult with his national security team about events in the Middle East, cutting short his weekend trip to Delaware.

Tension has risen in the region after Iran vowed to revenge on Israel in retaliation for the April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic facility in the Syrian capital Damascus. The strike killed at least seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two top generals.

Iran has accused Israel of carrying out the attack and vowed to respond. Tel Aviv has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, but it has for months carried out a number of strikes against Iranian targets across Syria.

Both Iran and Hezbollah, its main ally in Lebanon, have said the attack will not go unpunished.