Inside Lindsey Graham's final push for Saudi-Israel peace

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who died suddenly Saturday, spent his final weeks laying the groundwork for an ambitious new push to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, he told me in multiple conversations over the past several weeks.Why it matters: Graham was one of Washington's most influential and energetic foreign policy figures. He spent decades trying to shape America's role in the world and was still pursuing some of his biggest diplomatic ambitions in the final hours of his life.Zoom in: Graham saw Saudi-Israel normalization as the defining prize of a broader postwar settlement in the Middle East — one that could outlast the military campaign against Iran and fundamentally reshape the region.He had worked on the issue for years, including with the Biden administration, and believed the opening created by Iran's weakening could give President Trump a rare chance to broker a historic agreement.Graham's plan was to begin an intensive diplomatic push after Israel's October elections and the U.S. midterms, with the goal of reaching a deal before the new Congress was sworn in in January.Yes, but: Graham believed the war with Iran first had to be brought under control, especially the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.He had urged Trump to authorize a short, overwhelming military operation to reopen the strait if diplomacy failed. Zoom out: Graham was one of the key figures outside of the administration that Trump consulted with on foreign policy and national security, especially around the Iran war. He helped lead a group of hawkish advisers who backed the U.S. campaign and urged Trump to intensify military pressure on Tehran.In mid-May, Graham began urging Trump to make Saudi-Israel normalization the centerpiece of a broader regional "day-after" plan for the war.A week later, Trump told the leaders of several Arab and Muslim countries during a conference call that he wanted them to establish relations with Israel if an agreement could be reached to end the war with Iran. His primary focus was Saudi Arabia.Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had previously shown a willingness to normalize relations with Israel, though his enthusiasm had cooled over the past year.Saudi officials continued to insist that any deal must include an irreversible, time-bound path toward the creation of a Palestinian state.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government rejected that condition, and it remains unclear whether Israel's political landscape after the October election will create room for such a move. Behind the scenes: Graham told me in recent weeks he had discussed the initiative with Trump, as well as U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, and that they had agreed to pursue it in a coordinated way.Graham also said he had spoken with Netanyahu confidant Ron Dermer, Saudi Ambassador to Washington Princess Reema bint Bandar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.He had been planning a trip to Saudi A