Unreleased documentary footage reviewed by The Wall Street Journal reveals a rare glimpse into the yearslong campaign by the late US Senator Lindsey Graham to persuade Donald Trump to launch military action against Iran.

The archives also highlight the extent of Graham’s close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Mossad, and Trump, and his efforts to pull the United States into wider regional war.

The footage also captures Graham planning a March trip to Florida to urge Trump into joining an Israeli bombing campaign against Lebanon. The plan was ultimately abandoned after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened to warn that expanding the war would be too much, too soon.

The archive material reveals the senator’s extraordinary access to Israeli leadership, the Mossad, and the White House. This included a direct telephone call where the Israeli prime minister cautioned against drawing the United States into a broader regional war.