Lindsey Graham: Iran's 10-point proposal must be sent to Congress for review
The senior Republican senator welcomed diplomacy but drew firm red lines, calling for a congressional review process modelled on the Senate's scrutiny of the Obama-era Iran deal and warning against treating Tehran as a prize of war.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Even as the ink was still drying on a landmark ceasefire and delegations prepared for direct talks in Islamabad, one of Washington's most hawkish voices on Iran made clear that the road to any final agreement runs through Congress.
On Wednesday, Senator Lindsey Graham posted a statement on X in which he expressed cautious support for diplomatic efforts while laying out firm conditions for any deal with Tehran. "As I stated before, I prefer diplomacy if it leads to the right outcome regarding the Iranian terrorist regime," Graham wrote. "I appreciate the hard work of all involved in trying to find a diplomatic solution."
The senator was equally candid about his skepticism at this early stage, writing: "At this early stage, I am extremely cautious regarding what is fact vs. fiction or misrepresentation."
A Senate review process, modelled on Obama-era scrutiny
Graham called for Iran's 10-point proposal — which Trump described as "a workable basis on which to negotiate" — to be submitted to Congress for review. He argued that a congressional process similar to the one the Senate applied to the Obama administration's Iran nuclear deal represents the appropriate path forward. "A congressional review process like the one the Senate followed to test the Obama Iranian deal is a sound way forward," he wrote. "Fair and challenging questions with a full opportunity to explain, and a healthy dose of sunlight is generally the right formula to understand any matter."
Graham's statement came alongside his previously stated insistence that Iran must not be treated as a "prize of war" in any future agreement — a position he reiterated as Islamabad talks took shape and both Washington and Tehran moved toward a shared negotiating framework built on Iran's 10-point and the US's 15-point proposals.
The ceasefire, announced by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday and confirmed by both Trump and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, brought an immediate halt to hostilities across all fronts including Lebanon. Delegations from both countries are expected to convene in Islamabad on Friday, April 10, 2026, for the first direct face-to-face negotiations since the war began.