According to a top advisor within the Trump administration, the president is losing patience with the Iranian regime, telling Axios that Trump “is getting fed up” and that he believes “there is 90 percent chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks.” Iran has engaged in violence against protesters, with thousands killed and thousands more injured. Reports indicate members of the Iranian regime were going to hospitals to execute the wounded, and they're also reportedly opening fire on mourners who gathered to remember 16-year-old Alireza Sedyi, who was killed while protesting in Tehran.
Senator Lindsey Graham gave an interview with Sky News in which he indicated that President Trump may be more than just "fed up" with Iran, and that a "decision...has already been made."
BREAKING: Senator Lindsey Graham, in an interview with Sky News Arabia: "The US decision regarding Iran has already been made. The ships are not arriving in the area only because the weather is pleasant at this time of year”
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) February 19, 2026
In that interview, Graham also said change was ultimately up to the Iranian people.
🇺🇸🇮🇷 U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham about Iran:
— OSINT Digest (@Indowatchosint) February 19, 2026
"There's planning for that, The decision has been made" pic.twitter.com/YExtBnWYy5
"I like him, fine, but it's up to the Iranian people," Graham said of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who has been encouraging the uprisings and regime change in Iran. "Don't get ahead of yourself. The day after the regime falls will be complicated."
"We don't do day-after well in the U.S.," the reporter said.
"You gotta quit saying 'we.' It's not we, it's them," Graham replied. "It's not my job to construct a new Iran. It's my job to give them the opportunity to construct a new Iran. So a joint venture between Israel and the United States to help degrade the capability of the Iranian ayatollah to kill his people would be welcome news in Iran."
"Is that already underway?" the reporter asked.
"Well, there's planning for that. The decision has been made," Graham replied. "All these ships are not coming here because it's nice this time of year."
There has been a large-scale escalation of American ships and forces to the Middle East in the past several weeks. There are ten warships positioned within the area of Central Command, and two more on the outskirts of the region.