Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Has Died; Iran Claims It Targeted U.S. Military Installations. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired July 12, 2026 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:00:36]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Will Ripley and we are following breaking news just after 5 a.m. now in Washington where nobody was expecting to wake up to hear that Lindsey Graham, the longtime Republican senator from South Carolina, has died at the age of 71. His office said he passed away on Saturday night after a brief and sudden illness, but they did not provide any details. He had just been traveling overseas. He was meeting with the Ukrainian president on Friday.

President Donald Trump in a statement calling him a true American patriot and one of the greatest senators he has ever known.

Graham was considered a foreign policy hawk, a key supporter of Israel, really one of the Republican Party's most prominent voices on foreign policy, defense, national security.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu putting out a statement saying that America has lost, saying that Israel has lost one of its greatest friends.

Graham was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002. He was running for a fifth term in the upcoming midterm elections. He had just won the Republican primary in South Carolina last month and was working a very full schedule by all accounts, appearing to be in very good health.

CNN's Brian Todd joins me live now from our Washington bureau. Brian has been following all of this, and you played for us our first possible clue as to what happened with this brief illness as it was called by Senator Graham's staffers. So, take us through what you're hearing, Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we don't have a lot of details about this brief and sudden illness that Senator Graham suffered and exactly when he suffered it. That's another detail that we're trying to get. But, again, a spokesperson for Senator Graham's office said that he died after a brief and sudden illness. He was 71 years old.

The spokesperson for Graham's office said, quote, "Senator Graham's family appreciates prayers at this time and asked for privacy during this incredibly difficult period." We're going to play for you now some audio from the 911 dispatch call regarding the call to Senator Graham's home. Take a listen to this audio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: EMS 6 responding (OFF MIC) Cardiac arrest (bleep). EMS 6 responding (OFF MIC) with cardiac arrest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: All right. So, you hear the words cardiac arrest there, but we cannot confirm at this time that that's what Senator Graham died of. That was a call for cardiac arrest. It does not necessarily mean that the senator may have died from cardiac arrest. Obviously, when a 911 call goes in, there are things that are said that turn out to be very different from what the facts turn out to be. So, we want to be very careful there, not confirming that this was cardiac arrest, which led to the senator's death, but that was a call for cardiac arrest.

Some other reaction that we're getting this morning from President Trump putting on "Truth Social" this post, quote, "Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and senators I've ever known, is dead. He was always working and was a true American patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed." End quote. That was from President Trump.

We also have this statement from South Carolina's Republican Governor Henry McMaster, Republican from South Carolina. Quote, "Peggy and I and our children are devastated. Lindsey Graham is irreplaceable. 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.

That reference to Darline, that is Senator Graham's younger sister who he actually helped raise after their parents passed away when Senator Graham and his sister were very young. That's a reference to his sister Darline from South Carolina's Governor Henry McMaster. Senator Graham was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He was instrumental in winning the confirmation of the Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at that time. That was a few years ago. He was a very, very influential senator as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He was also on the Senate Budget Committee.

We have a long statement also from the Senate Majority Leader John Thune, which I can read to you now. This is from Senator Thune. Quote, again, a post on "X" from Senator Thune. "My heart is heavy this morning to learn of the passing of my friend and colleague Senator Lindsey Graham. Lindsey's long and dedicated service in the Air Force and in Congress carried him to far-flung regions of the world. He was a strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom- loving countries across the globe. He believed in the might of America to achieve good in the world and dedicated his life to advancing that cause."

[05:05:19]

Senator Thune goes on here. Quote, "As South Carolina's Senior Senator, Lindsey fought passionately for the Palmetto State. He was a trusted advisor 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, on national defense, and his beloved South Carolina will be felt for generations. Kimberly and I pray for Lindsey's friends and family, and we send our heartfelt condolences during this most difficult time."

That is a statement from the Senate Majority Leader John Thune posted on "X," a lengthy statement there. I just read statements from South Carolina's Governor Henry McMaster and from President Trump regarding the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham.

Again, the only detail we're able to report right now coming from the senator's spokesperson saying that he died after a brief and sudden illness. We've been playing audio of a 911 call that was, you know, dispatched to his home, mentioning the words cardiac arrest. We cannot confirm that at this time. That was a call for cardiac arrest, a call where cardiac arrest was mentioned. It does not necessarily mean that the senator died of that. We'll, of course, get those details in a short time. It was just on the phone a short time ago with an official from D.C.'s fire in EMS. That person could not confirm details of treatment and transport due to federal privacy laws, referring us to the senator's spokesperson, who, of course, we've been in contact with and we've been reading some quotes from his spokesperson, Taylor Reidy. Will, that's what we can tell you right now.

We can also tell you that, according to Reuters, the senator was in Ukraine just a couple of days ago meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Of course, Senator Graham was a staunch advocate for more military and financial aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia. That will, of course, his loss will be sorely missed by President Zelenskyy and his allies in Ukraine.

Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issuing a statement saying that this was a devastating loss for Israel as well. Senator Graham known for his staunch friendship with Netanyahu and his advocacy for Israel and its causes.

Will?

RIPLEY: All right, Brian. Yeah, let's pick things up from there because Senator Lindsey Graham, decades of experience when it comes to foreign policy, traveled all over the world meeting with world leaders, most recently just on Friday when he was seen in Kyiv, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Nic Robertson is in London. Nic, what are you hearing in your corner of the world as reaction comes in? And obviously, one country that has a lot to say about this, of course, in addition to Israel, Iran.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, Iran sees and saw Senator Graham as an absolutely implacable enemy because Senator Graham was an interventionist when it came to dealing with the problems. And yeah, the problems are simply put in the Middle East. He saw them as wielding their proxies to negative regional effect. He saw their ballistic missile systems, their preparation of highly enriched uranium as -- as a threat to the region and potentially to the United States. He was an interventionist there.

I mean, this is the fundamental difference, of course, between Senator Graham and -- and President Trump. And this is the fundamental reason why people like Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Zelenskyy. And I think it's probably fair to say European leaders as well valued his overseas travel, valued his foreign policy views, valued the pressure that he was putting on President Trump to stay engaged. He was an intervention interventionist where President Trump's MAGA base is more isolationist.

And it's been seen or it was seen that President Trump was pulling away from international involvement and engagement. And Lindsey Graham was an advocate for maintaining that. We've literally just heard in the past couple of minutes from President Zelenskyy saying he is deeply saddened by the passing of Lindsey Graham, the news of the passing of Lindsey Graham.

And he goes on to say, you know, that he was a huge friend of the country, that his passing and the United Lindsey Graham. He was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer. And here's a statistic that I think will shock and surprise a lot of people.

President Zelenskyy of Ukraine says that Lindsey Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times during this ongoing war with Russia. So, 10 times, if you will, putting his life and limb in danger as most recently as Friday in Ukraine, visiting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking with him, visiting the Skyfall factory where they make their long-range bomber drones, where they make their short-range front-line drones, where they make their drone interceptor, which, by the way, Ukraine has been doing well in selling to the Middle East because of the uptick of threat there in the Gulf states by Iran's drones.

[05:10:32]

So, Senator Lindsey Graham is somebody who was sort of old school Republican, if you will, in his foreign policy. And I'll give you a small example of how that played out in Europe. So, we all remember that disastrous meeting between President Zelenskyy back at the end of February last year, just after President Trump came into the Oval Office. They were meeting. Tempers were raised. Senator Graham said that he wasn't sure that he could support President Zelenskyy after that, after previously being a strong supporter that he felt that Zelenskyy's reaction was wrong.

Zelenskyy immediately went to Europe and the European leaders he came to London, he went to Paris and the European leaders put together a coalition of the willing. This was just last year to try to get around the fact that President Trump wasn't going to support Ukraine.

But, you know, that coalition of the willing, one of the U.S. voices that the European allies had on their virtual calls was Senator Graham's, because he was much more in lockstep with them, the European leaders, than he was with President Trump on his attitudes, his sort of isolationist, don't support Ukraine or don't support them directly. So, Lindsey Graham in that context is going to be missed for his

advocacy of what European leaders would like to see out of the United States. He was a voice into the White House for that, as he was for Prime Minister Netanyahu, who's also mourned the passing of Lindsey Graham, saying that he was a true friend of Israel and a cherished personal friend of Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Because, again, Lindsey Graham had the ear of President Trump, even though he'd run against him in the 2016 election, stepped back from his candidacy, supported President Trump. He had become somebody that the president appeared to listen to on foreign policy. And that was valuable and important for people like Prime Minister Netanyahu, who were at odds at times with what President Trump was doing, a ceasefire with Iran that wasn't, Prime Minister Netanyahu thought, in Israel's interest.

Lindsey Graham would have been a voice to help convey his opinions deeper into the White House and get the level of support that Israel wanted. President Trump was willing to give. Lindsey Graham was an advocate for that.

RIPLEY: Yeah, and he certainly had President Trump's ear. Nic Robertson in London, appreciate your expertise.

On the subject of Israel, we have our Bureau Chief in Jerusalem, Oren Liebermann, standing by now.

Oren, the first international reaction to come in came from top officials from across the spectrum there. What are you hearing? And importantly, at this crucial time that Israel is really trying to get in the ear of President Trump on the -- on the conflict with Iran, how vital was a voice like Senator Graham in that effort by Israel to communicate with the Trump administration?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: From the perspective of Israel, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham was incredibly critical, because even as there appeared to be a divide on some issues between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump himself, it was Graham that Netanyahu would turn to, to get his message not only out there, but to get his message specifically to Trump. And that's why they were in such close contact. And that's why not only Netanyahu, but Israeli officials from across the spectrum considered Graham so close to Israel, a friend, a defender of Israel.

He has long been an advocate and visiting here routinely, not only since the war with Gaza three years ago, but long before that. I've attended several grand press conferences here and have been invited to many others because he came here. He wanted to be seen here. He wanted to be out there, seen as a supporter of Israel. He supported not only in terms of being hawkish on Iran, attacks on Iran, a continued military campaign against Iran, but also more funding for Israel's defenses, more U.S. funding, that is, more U.S. funding for Israeli weaponry purchased from the U.S.

So, this is what endeared him to Israel at a political level, but also at a personal level. He would meet with Israel's leaders not only throughout the years, but throughout the decades. And that's why you see this outpouring of mourning, frankly, from across the political spectrum.

I'm going to read a couple of these. Nic touched on this, as have others, the statement that Netanyahu made. In part, he said, "Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend."

[05:15:12]

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, "I'm heartbroken to hear of the passing of my friend Senator Lindsey Graham. America has lost a devoted patriot, and Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. Lindsey stood with Israel through our darkest hours with courage."

And then I'll just read one more here from former Prime Minister Yair Lapid. He says that "Graham was first and foremost a friend. His warmth, humor, and energy will be deeply missed. Lindsey had unwavering moral clarity, a deep devotion to the people of Israel, and a clear vision for a secure and peaceful Middle East."

That, I think, is very clearly a reference to Graham's not only support for Israel's wars in Gaza and in Lebanon, but also for his hawkish approach on Iran. He questioned the agreement, the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, that was supposed to lead to a broad agreement, saying openly, when others wouldn't, that he didn't believe this agreement would come to fruition, that there would be final negotiations and a final deal at the end of this 60 days for negotiation of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement under Trump. Even if that was extended, there's too much of a gap, and Iran wasn't willing, he believed, to negotiate in good faith. That virtually mirrored Netanyahu's own stance on Iran, deeply skeptical of Iran's intentions, deeply skeptical that Iran would give up entirely its nuclear program or hand over its highly enriched uranium.

And it's those very publicly stated positions that made him an ally of Israel in the U.S. and certainly an ally of Netanyahu. Again, just to touch back on this idea, Graham could get a message across to Trump, even if it seemed there was a division growing on a specific issue between Netanyahu and Trump.

Graham was openly and staunchly a supporter of Israel in the U.S. Senate. He wasn't shy about it, and that, from Israel's political perspective, very much made him an ally and a friend.

RIPLEY: And a monumental loss for Israel as they, along with the rest of the world, digest this news that nobody saw coming or that Senator Lindsey Graham has died unexpectedly and suddenly in Washington. We have much more of our CNN breaking news coverage of the death of Senator Graham right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:21:08] RIPLEY: 5:21 a.m. in Washington, where we are following breaking news this morning. Shocking and unexpected news. That longtime U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has died after a brief and sudden illness. That description given by his office, which released a very short statement saying he passed away on Saturday night.

In his reaction to the news, President Donald Trump called Graham a true patriot. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country lost one of its greatest friends.

Graham was running for his fifth Senate term in the upcoming midterms in November. He had just won the Republican primary in his state of South Carolina last month. He died just days after marking his 71st birthday. And days after he had traveled to Ukraine and met with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Where he appeared in good spirits and in good health.

I'm joined now by Natasha Lindstaedt. She's a professor of government at the University of Essex. And Natasha, this has come at a time that all eyes were on the much older 84-year-old Senator Mitch McConnell. Who was seen being taken out of his home on a stretcher at one point. So, Washington has been monitoring the health of Senator McConnell. While Senator Graham, at 71, people expected him to continue working. Continue to whisper into the ear of President Trump, who he has a very close relationship with. Can you speak to the significance of losing a Washington institution like Lindsey Graham, who for so many decades has successfully navigated the changing political tides in a deeply divided Washington?

NATASHA LINDSTAEDT, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: Well, it's a huge loss, particularly for the Republican Party. But most Americans have heard of Lindsey Graham. And he was very, very active working with the media, whether being interviewed by journalists or going on talk shows or just being active within the Senate mainly because he had such a close relationship with President Trump. But also he had a really close relationship with other members of the Senate. And at times he even engaged in some bipartisan legislation. I mean you could definitely say his most recent work in Ukraine would be an example of that.

But he worked with some other foreign policy hawks. Even if they were Democrat or Republican. He had worked a lot with John McCain and Joe Lieberman, senators who were referred to as the three amigos. Lieberman, of course, was a Democrat.

So, he reached across the aisle from time to time when there were some issues that they all agreed upon. But I think he's just known as a fixture in the Senate. Someone that has just always been around and had a lot of energy. We think of all the trips that he made to Ukraine as the previous report mentioned that he'd been to Ukraine ten times, risking his life at times to go over there because he was so hawkish on Russia, and wanted to provide Ukraine with all the defense possible. So, that it could withstand the Russians in this conflict over there. We think of someone who had many years left. I think that's why it's been so shocking. RIPLEY: And when you lose a lawmaker like that. At a time like this, where there's so much division in Washington particularly over some of the issues that Senator Graham really championed. How does that impact American foreign policy under an already unpredictable Trump administration?

LINDSTAEDT: I think it's a huge loss for all those in the Congress that really wanted to be tough on Russia, that wanted to implement tougher sanctions. As I already mentioned that this was one of the star accomplishments that he had just said. He had said we'd reached an agreement with the White House. This was only just a few days ago. You know, that he had released this statement on the Russian sanctions bill.

[05:25:03]

And because he did have Trump's ear. And, you know, at time, it was last year I was looking through reports about how he had been trying to push for these tougher sanctions. And was getting kind of a lukewarm reception from Trump. But because he was so close with Trump. He was able to convince him at times, of things that maybe Trump naturally wouldn't want to do. So, it's really a loss for those that are hoping for a tougher stance on Russia. Because he's such a vocal figure in this. And particularly it's important to have Republicans. Because Trump is really only likely to listen to Republicans on this. And he was very convincing and very, very persuasive, which is why he received such accolades from President Zelenskyy. He knew that this was a really significant figure in the fight against Russia.

RIPLEY: And what about Israel and Iran?

LINDSTAEDT: Again, these are other areas where he was considered a huge hawk. That's why we had Netanyahu releasing a statement alongside some other Israeli politicians saying that this was a huge loss for them. They counted Graham as one of Israel's biggest friends. And then on the issue of Iran, you know, he -- he was in step with Trump on this issue. He was one of the people who did not like the Obama-Iran deal. He didn't think that it went far enough.

And so, he was pressuring those within the Senate. And whoever would be president at the time that this wasn't going to work. And that's why he was fully in support of the Iran war even though it wasn't particularly popular with the public at the moment because he felt that tougher approach was needed with Iran and so forth on that front as well. You see there's a loss of someone who would be on Trump's side on that.

RIPLEY: Natasha Lindstaedt in Colchester, England, the U.K., Europe digesting and processing this news. That in the United States many people are just now waking up to as we approach 5:30 a.m. in Washington.

Breaking news coverage of the death of Senator Lindsey Graham continues here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [05:30:38]

RIPLEY: I'm Will Ripley. We continue to follow breaking news here on CNN, news that nobody saw coming. Reactions now flooding in after the shocking, unexpected passing of longtime U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he met with the Ukrainian president. His office says sometime after he returned home on Saturday night, he suffered a brief and sudden illness and he died. We heard some emergency audio, emergency workers called to his residence to a report of cardiac arrest. That obviously the only piece of information, the only clue that we have right now, and even that is unconfirmed at this stage. That was just the initial 911 call.

President Trump calling Graham a true patriot. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that his country lost one of its greatest friends. Graham had an incredibly busy schedule. He seemed healthy in all of his public outings. He was running for his fifth Senate term and the upcoming midterms in November. He had just won the Republican primary in his home state of South Carolina last month, and he died just days after marking his 71st birthday. There was no reason to think that he wasn't going to keep working, keep serving the people of South Carolina and the United States.

As Washington now starts to wake up to this news that broke overnight just after 5:31 in Washington, John Bresnahan is a veteran Washington political journalist and the co-founder of "Punchbowl News." How are you digesting this news?

JOHN BRESNAHAN, PUNCHBOWL NEWS CO-FOUNDER: Yeah, first of all, my condolences to Senator Graham's family, his sister. He's very close to his sister. I've known Graham since he was first elected to Congress. I remember covering Graham. He was one of the impeachment managers for Bill Clinton's impeachment back in the late 90s, 1998 to '99. I knew he was a member of the Judiciary Committee, an Air Force lawyer.

He served in the judge advocate general's office. I mean, he was very, he was a huge hawk, as you're talking about, but this is a shock. I mean, the Congress would leave for the weekend and Graham would pop up in Israel. He'd pop up in Ukraine. He'd pop up in Europe. I mean, this is a man who was very, very strongly a defense hawk and he was, you know, pro-strong defense and he was pro-Ukraine.

He would go, he met with Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy, a number of times. You see the video of him meeting with Zelenskyy on Friday in Ukraine and he looked -- he looked well.

So, I mean, this is just a terrible, terrible loss. Like, sadly, we've seen this with Senate and House members. We, you know, we've seen sudden illnesses and sudden deaths. And then you mentioned before, where are, there's concerns over the health of Senator McConnell, longtime Senator McConnell.

So, this is just a tremendous blow. It's a tremendous blow, I think, to Trump personally, President Trump personally and the Senate. And this is just a real, this is just a real devastating loss. RIPLEY: Senator McConnell is 84 years old, so obviously there's a huge age difference there, even though these two did really, in some ways, were cut from a similar cloth in terms of this. People keep talking about this old school style of Washington politician. You've covered Senator Graham since the mid-1990s. What has stood out to you as you've watched him and interacted him and the way that he's navigated the changing political climate so deftly?

BRESNAHAN: Right. Right. You know, Graham was -- Graham is, was the epitome of the Republican Party. He was elected in the Republican Revolution in 1994. He came in with Newt Gingrich. You know, he had served briefly in the South Carolina legislature before he won his election to Congress. He came in as this group of guys, they were going to remake Washington and they did. They challenged then President Clinton constantly.

Again, he worked on Clinton's impeachment, but he became very, very -- when he was elected to the Senate in 2002, he became extremely close to Senator John McCain, the late Senator John McCain. The two of them were just inseparable. And I think you see, and of course McCain's huge clashes with Trump in -- and I think you see -- you know, when Graham ran against Trump in 2016 for president and they were very bitter enemies. They were very bitter enemies. And at one point I remember Trump gave out Graham's cell phone number during the debate.

[05:35:25]

And, you know, it was really -- there was really, you know, they didn't like each other. But then after, you know, Trump gets elected, and, you know, McCain gets -- he gets sick and he passes away, Graham, like the Republican Party, morphed into one of Trump's greatest defenders. You know, Trump, you know, you would talk to Graham, who was a very active man.

And I can't -- I can't say that enough. Very active, playing golf and physically traveling back and forth to South Carolina internationally. He -- you know, he would say, if you asked questions, he would -- he would say, you're all suffering from, you know, Trump derangement syndrome. He was one of the ones who came up with that. He became an extraordinarily vocal defender of Trump.

So, he went from a Trump enemy, a Trump rival, or better to say, and a McCain loyalist, to a Trump, one of Trump's closest allies. I mean, these guys talked every day, if not every day, every couple of days. They talked frequently. You'd be talking to Graham and the phone would ring and it'd be Trump and you could hear it.

And he'd say, look, I got to go talk to the president. So, I mean, it was extraordinary metamorphosis in Graham personally. And I think that's symbolic of everything that's happened to the Republican Party. They were once doubters, rivals, and he and Trump, and then they became the closest of allies.

RIPLEY: You know, he once told reporters he'd never send an email. They really don't make them like that anymore. And so many stories are going to be coming out. I imagine in the hours and days ahead from people on all sides of the political spectrum and their connection to Lindsey Graham and what he meant to them.

John Bresnahan, Veteran Washington Political Journalist, really appreciate you sharing your perspective as Washington wakes up to the news.

I'm going to switch over now though, because you've heard a lot of discussion, if you've been watching our coverage, about Senator Graham's staunch support for Ukraine. And for more on that, I am joined by Oleksandr Merezhko. He's the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament. And I'm very glad to speak with you, sir, because as you know, Lindsey Graham had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, meeting with your President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Can you tell us how that trip went, how it was received in Kyiv and around Ukraine, and how Ukraine is now reacting to this news as it starts to trickle out?

OLEKSANDR MEREZHKO, CHAIR, FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, UKRAINE PARLIAMENT: Right now, people in Ukraine, not only politicians, but all the people in Ukraine are in terrible shock after this news, because Senator Graham was a staunch supporter of Ukraine. He was a true friend of Ukraine, and it's difficult to talk about him in the past, because, you know, he's been just a few days ago in Kyiv, and it was his 10th trip to Kyiv. And each time he would come, he would bring hope, he would bring support for us, and it's tremendously valuable. And it's a huge loss for all Ukrainians. It's a huge tragedy and huge blow to us.

So, it was also very important that he stands for values, for true American values. And he was a friend of President Trump. It also mattered a lot for us. He would work tirelessly on improving relations between our country and President Trump. And he was absolutely indispensable. He was absolutely indispensable. And it's a huge, huge loss.

RIPLEY: How meaningful is it for the people of Ukraine that his -- what now is his last foreign trip was there to your country, to shake hands with your president, to show solidarity and support at a time that the world's eyes and focus have been turned elsewhere, have been turned to other conflicts, particularly between Israel and Iran?

MEREZHKO: Each visit by Senator Graham to Ukraine mattered a lot. And it was a very good sign in all respects. He visited, for example, those facilities which produce drones and weaponry. And he believed that the attitude of President Trump has changed for better. He started to believe more in Ukraine that we're not losing the war, that we're winning the war. And it was partly due to efforts of Senator Graham.

RIPLEY: And how will his legacy be seen there in Ukraine?

MEREZHKO: For us, Senator Graham has always been the legend. And he will remain in our memory, in our hearts, he will remain as a friend, as a very close friend of Ukraine on whom we can rely. And his legacy, I would compare to the legacy of Senator McCain, who was also a very close friend of Ukraine. Unfortunately, we don't have many such important friends. But, you know, I'm sure that American people will continue to support us.

[05:40:35]

RIPLEY: The late Senator John McCain, of course, very close friends with now the late Senator Lindsey Graham. It's kind of surreal to be saying those words, the late Senator Lindsey Graham, because he just celebrated his 71st birthday and he looked to be very healthy and vibrant when he was there in your country.

Oleksandr Merezhko, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, really appreciate your time joining us in Kyiv this morning.

As we continue our CNN breaking news coverage of the shocking and unexpected death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham just after returning from Ukraine. More coverage after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RIPLEY: Breaking news here on CNN. President Donald Trump is paying tribute to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. The lawmaker, just 71 years old, who just celebrated his birthday, died suddenly in Washington overnight after just returning from an overseas trip to Ukraine.

President Trump called Graham a true American patriot and one of the greatest senators he's ever known. Graham's office said that he passed away on Saturday evening after what they described as a very brief and sudden illness. There were emergency calls to his home claiming that there was an incident, possibly cardiac arrest. But really, there are no details now as to what happened, but it was very quick.

We're going to continue to follow the shocking death of Lindsey Graham throughout the day here on CNN. This is one of those rare stories that really will unite people from all sides of the political spectrum in a deeply divided Washington.

[05:45:08]

But I want to pivot now to update you on some other news that we're following here on CNN. In the Middle East, where Iran is now claiming to have launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. military installations in the Gulf.

Senator Graham, by the way, a huge proponent of the war in Iran, speaking to President Trump about that on a regular basis. Now, this news, this latest news of these strikes comes after the U.S. said it hit roughly 140 Iranian targets overnight. Those strikes were in response to Iran targeting a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says it fired a warning shot at a vessel that was using an unauthorized route. And then once again, they've now declared the waterway closed.

So that, of course, is news that nobody around the world wanted to hear, because traffic in the Strait is vital to the global economy and energy supply. It's also a key sticking point in resolving this conflict. And on Saturday, Iran's foreign minister visited Oman to discuss the matter.

So, we're going to go now to CNN's Nada Bashir joining me with more. These 140 Iranian military targets that have been hit. What do you know about what prompted the use of this firepower? And what are the targets exactly?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've been getting updates from U.S. military authorities, including the U.S. Central Command, which has, of course, confirmed that third round of strikes carried out by the U.S. military. As you mentioned, around 140 missiles used in those strikes. They have said targeting Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage facilities, communication networks and coastal surveillance locations.

And, of course, this is the third round of strikes that we have seen carried out by the U.S. military over recent days. There are concerns and fears that this could continue to escalate, as we have seen now the IRGC in Iran retaliating, targeting U.S. military assets and allies in the region. We have heard from officials in several Gulf nations confirming the threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran.

It's yet to have any further confirmation on the exact impact of that purported threat. Of course, there has been also reports of interceptions taking place across the Gulf, including in Kuwait, in Bahrain, as well as other nations. And this comes, as we have seen, officials scrambling to try to restart diplomatic resolutions and mediation efforts.

And, of course, this comes after Iran confirmed that it would be, it said yesterday, closing the Strait of Hormuz once again, following what they have described as international foreign interference.

Now, there has been a huge amount of debate around this. This has been a key stumbling block in mediation efforts. Iran wants to maintain a level of control over that key shipping route. It wants to see vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz through a corridor close to the coast of Iran, as opposed to passing through a corridor close to the coast of Oman.

But we did see yesterday Iran's foreign minister meeting with his Omani counterpart to discuss the mechanisms for control over the Strait of Hormuz.

According to sources familiar with those discussions taking place yesterday, there has been a proposal put forward for this particular mechanism that is being described as being discussed, which would essentially allow for permission for vessels to pass through two separate corridors. And, of course, Iran would maintain control over the corridor closest to its coastline.

But, again, no clear confirmation from either side as to whether this has actually been authorized or confirmed, and clearly no information as to whether this could shift the needle in terms of mediation efforts overall for the memorandum of understanding and potentially a longer-term peace deal between the U.S. and Iran to really be negotiated and accepted on both sides. But, for now, it does appear as though things are escalating in the wrong direction.

RIPLEY: And we'll, of course, be keeping an eye for any reaction out of Iran. We've got a lot of reaction coming out of Israel to the death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, the shocking death in Washington.

Nada, appreciate your update on the conflict, the resumption of strikes, very complex situation there.

But when we come back, we're going back to Washington with more of our breaking news coverage, the death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham at 71 years old.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:53:27]

RIPLEY: A quick update now on breaking news we're following here on CNN. Longtime U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has died after a brief and sudden illness. That is according to a very short statement released by his office which says he passed away on Saturday night. There were emergency calls to his residence in Washington. Calls of cardiac arrest. Those reports unconfirmed and preliminary but that is the only clue we have right now as to what may have happened.

Graham had just traveled overseas to Ukraine. He met with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He appeared to be in good health. He had a very full and active schedule by all accounts.

President Trump, in a social media post after the news broke, called Graham a true patriot. Said he was one of the best he had ever known.

Graham was running for his fifth Senate term in the upcoming midterms in November. He had just won the Republican primary in his home state of South Carolina where he served since the early 90s. First in the U.S. House and then getting elected to the Senate in 2003 replacing the legendary Strom Thurmond. And he became a legend himself over three decades of public service. Just turned 71. Just celebrated his birthday.

Now news that few people can believe that Lindsey Graham has died. And stay with CNN for continuing coverage of this story but we're going to pivot to some other news now.

"The New York Times" says it will fight subpoenas targeting its journalists. Journalists who reported on President Trump's new Air Force One. The paper says the four journalists have been told to appear before court in Manhattan this week on Wednesday. This coming after they reported on security concerns related to the new presidential jet donated by Qatar.

[05:55:07]

President Trump used it to fly to the NATO summit in Turkey on Tuesday but then he flew out on an older Air Force One.

Now "The New York Times" says that was partly prompted by secret service concerns related to security and there's been a lot of talk in recent days about this apparent new assassination plot by Iran towards President Trump. That intelligence shared with the United States by Israel. One source says that the FBI director Kash Patel who was seen in the White House on Friday has now been tapped to lead the investigation into the "New York Times." The New York Times attorney is calling these subpoenas a brazen act.

They're calling it an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what's really happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.

Now to Venezuela. Nearly three weeks after two earthquakes rocked that country families are still trying to find their missing loved ones. More than 4,000 people have been killed. Countless others have lost their homes and many people have heartbreakingly had to plead with authorities to bring heavy machinery in to assist in locating those who are missing believed to be buried deep beneath all that debris. But some survivors say they're just not getting anywhere when they try to ask for some sort of help.

A mass shooting in Toronto has left two men dead during Canada's largest Latin street festival. Police say four other people have been sent to the hospital. They're describing their injuries as serious. They say that several suspects remain at large. At least two individuals appeared to be firing at each other. Very little details yet but that information is coming from Toronto's deputy police chief who also confirmed that two firearms have been recovered.

Authorities are urging the public to avoid this area. They say there's no active threat to people who are living around there. CNN has reached out to festival organizers and local officials for comment.

Thanks for joining us here on CNN. I'm Will Ripley. More of our breaking news coverage of the death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham right after this break.

Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)