I last communicated with Graham just a few days before I received the message on Sunday morning that he had died. It took me a while to process that message.

The South Carolina Republican served in Congress for more than three decades, became a prominent voice on national security and foreign policy and emerged as one of Israel’s…

The US Republican senator died of a sudden illness, his office said. He was 71.

Mr Graham, 71, a veteran senator, is notorious for often urging the US to go to war, especially wars that favour Israel.

Graham was also a strong supporter of Israel and a hawkish backer of the Iran war.

Many colleagues reacted to the news of the South Carolina Republican's death, calling him a friend and American patriot.