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.
The U.S. military launched a new round of strikes against Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday in response to an IRGC missile attack that left a commercial cargo ship badly damaged.
Iran retaliated by launching drones and missiles at Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan.
Why it matters: The renewed exchange of fire further threatens last month's U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU), and comes hours after regional diplomats concluded negotiations aimed at resolving the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.
