US Senator Lindsey Graham Dies at 71

Washington DC. Senior American Republican Party Senator and close associate of President Donald Trump, Lindsey Graham, has passed away at the age of 71. Graham's office's communications director informed that Graham passed away on Saturday evening due to a short and sudden health problem.  

The family has requested privacy and prayers during this sad time. Lindsey Graham was first elected to the US Senate in 2002. He was subsequently re-elected in 2008, 2014, and 2020.

Prior to this, he also served as a member of the US House of Representatives from South Carolina's 3rd congressional district from 1994. Graham was also recently the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He also served as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

He was considered very influential in foreign policy. He supported the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and had long advocated for military action against Iran. He was considered a strong supporter of Israel and had also supported President Donald Trump's policy towards Iran. Israel's Ministry of Defense expressed sorrow over Graham's death and remembered him as a leader who stood with Israel in difficult times.

In 2016, Graham attempted to run for the Republican Party's presidential nomination. Initially a critic of Trump, Graham later became one of Trump's closest associates in the US Congress. 

Before entering politics, Graham served as a legal officer in the US Air Force for more than six years. He then joined the Air Force Reserve Force in 1995 and retired with the rank of Colonel after serving for about 20 years.