WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Prominent US Senator Lindsey Graham, a key ally of President Donald Trump, died aged 71 following a “brief and sudden illness,” his office said on Sunday.

Graham, known for his foreign policy work, was a staunch supporter of the Iran war and in recent years urged both Trump and the Biden administrations to back Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion.

The Republican senator from South Carolina’s office said in a statement on his official X account that he “passed away from a brief and sudden illness” on Saturday evening. Graham turned 71 on Thursday.