Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said he would support “big, strong and short” U.S. military action against Iran following Tehran’s latest strikes on the United Arab Emirates on Monday — the first such attack on the critical American ally since the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire took hold in early April.

On Monday, Iran launched 15 missiles and four drones at the UAE and targeted key infrastructure and maritime assets. Authorities in Fujairah reported a fire at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone after a suspected Iranian drone strike. 

Additionally, the U.K. military’s Maritime Trade Operations Center said it received reports of a commercial vessel on fire off the UAE coast and warned nearby ships to keep a “safe distance.” The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned an Iranian drone attack on a tanker belonging to the state-owned ADNOC energy company as it attempted to pass the Strait of Hormuz as an “act of piracy.”

Graham, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and supporter of the war effort, said that Iran’s “attack against UAE’s vital infrastructure and continued attacks on international shipping … justifies a big, strong and short response to inflict further damage on Iran’s war machine” in a statement on X.

“A forceful response on behalf of our ally, UAE, will reinforce that America is back as a reliable ally, helping to further wash away the damage caused by the Biden administration on this front,” Graham continued. “The UAE has been a champion ally in this fight, doing everything that’s being asked of them and beyond. Iran’s recent brazen attack against the UAE tells me a lot about who’s in charge in Iran and the chance of a diplomatic solution any time soon.”

Trump has said the U.S. would help guide and protect commercial ships navigating the strait in what he called “Project Freedom,” telling Fox News on Monday that Iran will be “blown off the face of the earth” if it tries to interfere – while also writing on Truth Social that Iran has already done so. 

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said on Monday that Washington is working with Bahrain and other Gulf allies to draft a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at “holding Iran to account” for its actions in the Strait of Hormuz.