South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, 71, has died.

“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”

Emergency medical services were called to Mr. Graham’s Capitol Hill home Saturday night for a cardiac arrest, but no other details were disclosed, NBC News reports.

President Trump confirmed the lawmaker’s death in a Truth Social post: “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!”

Mr. Graham, the Senate Budget Committee chair, was poised to lead the Judiciary Committee in the next Congress should the GOP hold the upper chamber. He met Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. He had been scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, the network said.

First elected to the Senate in 2002, Mr. Graham was seeking a fifth term this fall. He sought the 2016 Republican presidential nomination and criticized Mr. Trump vociferously — voting for independent Evan McMullin — but became a staunch supporter after a March 2017 meeting.

He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994.the first Republican voted in from South Carolina’s third district since 1877.

Mr. Graham noted July 6 Iranian signs targeted him for assassination. “At least they used a good photo of me,” he quipped.

“Lindsey Graham is irreplaceable,” South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said early Sunday. “The fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America — and a loyal and steadfast friend. We grieve with Darline, his family and his devoted staff. May God hold him gently in the palm of his hand. We shall not see his likes again.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Dakota Republican, said, “My heart is heavy this morning to learn of the passing of my friend and colleague.”

“He was a strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom-loving countries across the globe,” he added. “He was a trusted adviser and colleague to me and many others, and numerous presidents and heads of state have relied on his counsel. His influence on the federal judiciary, our national defense, and his beloved South Carolina will be felt for generations.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among the first world leaders to remember the senator.

Mr. Graham “devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world. Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend,” he said.

The sudden and unexpected loss of Mr. Graham throws his ballot slot into chaos.

If a South Carolina nominee dies 115 days before Election Day, state law requires the political party to fill the vacancy through a special primary rather than by executive committee appointment. The filing period opens on the second Tuesday after the candidate’s death and remains open for one week. A special primary is held on the second Tuesday after filing closes, with a runoff two weeks later if no candidate wins a majority.

Also unknown in the overnight hours is who will replace Mr. Graham on an interim basis.

South Carolina law authorizes the governor to fill a Senate vacancy caused by “death, resignation or otherwise.” The authority is consistent with the 17th Amendment, which permits state legislatures to empower governors to make temporary appointments until voters fill Senate vacancies. The appointee would serve until January 3.

South Carolina’s statute does not require Mr. McMaster to appoint a member of the deceased senator’s political party, does not require legislative confirmation, and does not impose a deadline for making the appointment.

Republican Tim Scott is now the senior senator from South Carolina.

The drama playing out between the United States and Iran is beginning to feel like an old-fashioned soap opera. Except we cannot figure out if it is a typical maudlin episode of “As the World Turns” or if it’s “Soap,” the 1970s classic dark comedy.

Either way, yet another plot twist occurred Saturday in the never-ending drama between Washington and Tehran. Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, declared on X, “In response to Trump’s threats, we announce the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”

He was referring to the U.S. demand Saturday that Iran publicly declare the Strait of Hormuz to be open with no preconditions for commercial passage.

The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters is Iran’s joint operational command that coordinates its regular army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. As such, Mr. Zolfaghari’s words carry weight.

Shortly afterwards Mr. Zolfaghari cryptically retweeted a post from yesterday encouraging his 146,000 followers to follow another Iranian account on X for the latest “news of the Iran war through the Iran War account.”

After a rather short two-minute commercial break, the Iran War account posted an urgent update, claiming, “Special forces affiliated with the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are deploying mines in the shipping lane designated by the Sultanate of Oman.”

Minutes later, the scene switched back to Mr. Zolfaghari. He posted on X, “The Strait of Hormuz is not merely a waterway; it is the very depth of [Iranian] national security.”

Essentially, Mr. Zolfaghari is bluntly asserting that Iranian control of the key strategic international waterway is a non-negotiable red line for the IRGC and its all-powerful militant commander Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi.

Iran’s actions were undoubtedly calculated. The IRGC Navy struck an unidentified ship Sunday transiting what has become known as the southern route passing through Omani territorial waters and, in effect, safeguarded by the U.S. Navy.

Tehran views such passages as a violation of the memorandum of understanding and justifies its attacks — even though Iran keeps denying responsibility — by claiming that they are “unauthorized vessels.”

Mr. Vahidi was clearly throwing down the gauntlet and was betting President Trump would not pick it up as he tested the White House’s resolve. He was also likely betting that it would result in a cliffhanger while the White House wrangled with how to respond.

His bet quickly proved wrong.

In the balance: By 7:15 p.m., U.S. Central Command made that clear. It announced on X that U.S. “forces began launching the third round of strikes this week against Iran after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces blatantly attacked M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”

CENTCOM stated the damage was significant, and the vessel was dead in the water. A civilian crew member is also reported to be missing after the ship was struck in its engine room by an Iranian projectile.

As Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted on X Saturday evening, “Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.” The real question, however, is how much.

Barak Ravid, reporting for Axios, stated on X that a U.S. official told him that CENTCOM was attacking Iranian “Air surveillance radars, missile and drone storage, missile and drone launch sites, surface surveillance radars, surface to air missile launchers.”

If that is it, then the United States rinsing and repeating target sets is not going to get the job done; especially if it proves true that Iran is successfully mining Omani waters.

Decision point: The time has come — indeed we are way past time — for Mr. Trump to cancel this Iranian-authored soap opera that is strangling the world’s oil supply in the Strait of Hormuz.

The IRGC, despite losing today’s bet, is still betting that Mr. Trump will be unwilling to return to a full-scale war due to domestic U.S. economic pressures and the upcoming November midterms.

Late Saturday evening, Mr. Vahidi doubled down on that bet. The IRGC began firing ballistic missiles at Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Mr. Trump must disabuse Mr. Vahidi of his gambit. So long as Mr. Vahidi and his fellow IRGC hardliners remain in power, Iran will never adhere to any MoU or comprehensive peace deal.

Finish the job, Mr. President!

The China Aerospace and Technology Corporation today successfully launched its Long March 10B space rocket and recovered its re…

Read more

The battle over how Maine Democrats will choose a…

Read more

The 34-year marriage of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her insurance-agent husband, Bryo…

Read more

U.S. Central Command conducted another round of airstrikes against Iranian targets last night “to further deg…

Read more

While attending the two-day NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, President Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday that he is d…

Read more

Graham Platner, the Maine Democrat who won the primary to run aga…

Read more

Michigan Republicans believe 2026 is a rare opportunity to pick up a U.S. Senate seat. But with the p…

Read more

A Florida federal judge directed the Department of Homeland Security to immediately restore key voter-verification …

Read more

Americ…

Read more

Consumers wrung out by so-called “high-efficiency” washers and dryers that don’t perform like older models ma…

Read more

Europeans are literally…

Read more

An estimated 450 to 600 Ukrainian kamikaze deep-strike drones targeted Russian military bases, seaports, and powe…

Read more

Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner indicated Monday he is considering exiting the c…

Read more

President Trump confirmed Monday he called the head of interna…

Read more

The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission urged state attorneys general nationwide Frida…

Read more

And then there were two.

Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow suspended her U.S. Senate campaign Sunday, turning the Democratic primary

Read more

Washington recently warned Polish President Karol Nawrocki that “Russia is planning an armed ‘provocation’ on P…

Read more

President Trump cast patriotism, militar…

Read more