Lindsey Graham: Trump Has World on Notice, ‘There Will Be No Benghazis on His Watch’

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Tuesday lauded President Donald Trump’s warning to Iran after a pro-Tehran mob attacked the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

Protesters stormed the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Tuesday, denouncing a series of deadly American airstrikes against an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia group in Iraq and Syria.

Hundreds of protesters marched through the heavily fortified “Green Zone” near the compound in anger over Sunday’s strikes against the Kata’ib Hezbollah militia, which had been blamed by the Pentagon for the death of a U.S. contractor in Kirkuk, Iraq, late last week.

Social media posts showed protesters breaking the embassy’s windows and setting fires outside its walls.

Hours later, President Trump warned Iran that the U.S. will hold it responsible for the attack.

“We strongly responded, and always will,” the president tweeted. “Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible.”

President Trump’s comments drew praise from Graham, who said his remarks put the “world on notice,” signaling that “there will be no Benghazis on his watch,” a reference to the 2012 terror attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith.

In a subsequent tweet, Graham issued a stern warning to Iran: “Be careful what you wish for — a country that depends on the ability to refine oil for its existence needs to be cautious. President Trump, unlike President Obama, will hold you accountable for threats against Americans and hit you where it hurts the most. Choose your battles wisely.”

The South Carolina Republican concluded his Twitter thread with a message to Iraq: “This is your moment to convince the American people the US-Iraq relationship is meaningful to you and worth protecting. Protect our American personnel. You will not regret it.”

The UPI contributed to this report.