Sen. Lindsey Graham says status quo in the Strait of Hormuz is ‘hurting us all’

Iran warSen. Lindsey Graham says status quo in the Strait of Hormuz is ‘hurting us all’ The South Carolina senator called on President Donald Trump to renew U.S. attacks on Iran amid a fragile ceasefire and stalled negotiations. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, said gas prices would come down for Americans when the U.S. puts Iran "in a box."Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 17, 2026, 10:14 AM EDTBy Alexandra MarquezSen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Sunday called for more U.S. military action in Iran, saying the ongoing stalemate in the war is “hurting us all.”Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.“I think the status quo is hurting us all. The longer the [Strait of Hormuz] is closed, the more we try to pursue a deal that never happens, the stronger Iran gets,” Graham told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”Graham added that so far in the Iran conflict, “there’s nothing to suggest that the people in charge now are any different in terms of the regime’s goal to terrorize the world, destroy Israel, come after us.”He called on President Donald Trump to, “weaken them further.”“What President Trump has done has been amazing militarily, but there’s more targets to be had, and there’s things we can do to hurt [Iran],” the South Carolina senator said.Graham’s comments come amid a pause in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, which have not yet led to a deal to end the war.And the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime passageway for oil tankers, has sent global oil prices soaring, raising gas prices for Americans, too. The average price of unleaded gas in the U.S. is up 51% since the U.S. first took military action against Iran, more than two months ago.On Sunday, the South Carolina senator told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker, “here’s the good news: gas prices will come down when you put Iran in a b...