Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday that President Donald Trump is ready to take control of the Strait of Hormuz by force and impose tolls if diplomatic talks with Iran ultimately fail.Graham made the comments during an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”

“Let’s try a diplomatic solution. I think it’s going to fail,” Graham said, before asking, “What happens next?”. “I spent four-and-a-half hours with President Trump on Friday. Here’s what I think will happen next,” he explained. “If this deal fails, President Trump is going to take over the Strait of Hormuz by force,” Graham warned.“

The United States will control the Strait of Hormuz. We’ll charge a fee for all those who go through to pay for the operation and we’re going to expand the Abraham Accords in calendar year 2026,” Graham added.

The senator’s remarks come as Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner held meetings with Iranian officials in Switzerland on Sunday for the first round of technical talks.

Graham’s statements reflect a hard-nosed, America-first approach: attempting diplomacy where possible, but making it unmistakably clear that the United States will not hesitate to protect its vital national interests and global energy security if the Iranian regime chooses obstruction over cooperation.