Lindsey Graham tells Seth Meyers why the Iran nuclear deal is bad: Tehran is pleased

Seth Meyers and Lindsey Graham talk Iran

(Image credit: Late Night)

last updated 15 July 2015

On Tuesday morning, Iran and six world powers reached a landmark deal to roll back Iran's nuclear programs for at least 15 years, and Republicans weren't especially thrilled with the accord. On Tuesday's Late Night, Seth Meyers and GOP presidential candidate Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) had a surprisingly substantive three-minute chat on why Graham opposes the deal and says it will lead to Israel's destruction.

Graham's first objection is that Iran likes the deal: "When the Iranians say this is a win-win, it's probably not." He went on to argue that the deal ensures that Iran will become a nuclear nation and complain that it will unfreeze $18 billion of Iran's money without demanding that it stop meddling in the region. Plus, the deal gradually lifts an arms embargo "on the most radical regime in the region." When Meyers asked if he thought Iran would just accept America's terms in the negotiations, Graham repeated his concerns and added that he believes the deal will create a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

What would Graham have done differently if he were president? He would have firmly told Iran that it won't get its money "until you stop destabilizing the Mideast," won't see an end to the arms embargo "until you change your behavior, renounce terrorism," and that while Tehran can have a peaceful nuclear power program, "if you want a weapon, you're not going to get it; if you want a war, you're going to lose it." If only Secretary of State John Kerry had thought of that. Watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.