Graham: US should consider strike on Iranian oil refineries after attack on Saudi Arabia

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a prominent foreign policy hawk, said the U.S. should consider striking Iranian oil refineries in response to new attacks on Saudi oil refineries by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. 

“It is now time for the U.S. to put on the table an attack on Iranian oil refineries if they continue their provocations or increase nuclear enrichment,” Graham tweeted.{mosads}

“Iran will not stop their misbehavior until the consequences become more real, like attacking their refineries, which will break the regime’s back,” he added.

Iran will not stop their misbehavior until the consequences become more real, like attacking their refineries, which will break the regime’s back.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 14, 2019

Graham, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is one of Congress’s chief critics of Iran, warning in June that Tehran should prepare for “severe pain” after it shot down an unmanned U.S. surveillance drone.

The South Carolina Republican is a former critic of President Trump who has become one of his staunchest supporters. 

His tweet comes the same day as Houthi rebels in Yemen launched drone strikes against two oil refineries deep into Saudi territory in response to Riyadh’s air campaign against the rebel group.

“Air Force of the Yemeni Army and Popular Committees, Saturday morning carried out a large-scale operation with 10 drones, targeting Abqaiq and Khurais refineries east of Saudi Arabia,” Brig. Gen. Yahya Sare’e said, adding that operations will “expand” and be “more painful” as Saudi Arabia continues its military efforts in Yemen.

Riyadh is heading a U.S.-backed regional campaign to oust the Houthi rebels in Yemen as the country’s civil war descends into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The conflict has killed thousands of civilians, caused millions to leave or lose their homes, and sparked widespread starvation.

The Houthi rebels have attacked refineries in Saudi Arabia before in an attempt to strike at the country’s chief economic sector, though Saturday’s strike hit about 500 miles from Yemeni territory and was one of the largest operations they’ve launched yet.