Leaders remember late US Sen. Lindsey Graham

Condolences pour in following the death of US Senator Lindsey Graham who passed away Saturday after suffering a tear in his aorta.

A supporter of the Trump administration, Graham was a crucial link between the oval office and various global leaders including Ukraine's Volodymry Zelenskyy and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu.

Lindsey Graham's office confirms a preliminary medical reveals the Republican senator died from a tear in his aorta.

The former Air Force lawyer, who served in Congress for more than three decades, had turned 71 years old just two days before his death Saturday.

Speaking to NBC's "Meet the Press," US President Donald Trump says he chatted with Graham over the phone likely just "minutes before" he passed away and that he "sounded a little bit tired, but perfect."

Trump praises Graham's bipartisan appeal and says the frequent visitor to the White House was "tough" but "great."

Graham was known as a defence hawk and advocated for strong US foreign policy. He initially opposed Trump and ran against him for president in 2016 but later became one of the president's closest allies in Congress.

Graham was a key player in advising Trump on matters such as Iran and Russia, and had close ties with the Ukrainian administration and President Zelenskyy, whom he sat down with in Kyiv just a day before he died.

Zelenskyy says he is "deeply saddened" by the senator's sudden death, noting Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times since Russia's full-scale invasion and had been with Ukraine "when it was most needed."

"We were in constant dialogue and will miss that greatly," Zelenskyy writes on Telegram.

In a sit down interview with NBC's "Meet the Press," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's in shock while Iran is in "celebration" over the death of an America patriot.

Trump orders flags to be flown at half-staff across the country until next Saturday.