US President Donald Trump has called on Republican lawmakers to expand a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill by adding Iran, a move that would broaden the scope of the proposed legislation beyond its original focus on Moscow.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump urged lawmakers to include Iran in the bill, saying the proposal aligns with what the late Senator Lindsey Graham had originally intended for the legislation.
The proposed measure, known as the Senator Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, has bipartisan support in the US Senate. It seeks to increase economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine by targeting Russian financial institutions, energy exports, sanctions evasion networks, and the so-called “shadow fleet” used to transport Russian oil.
Among its key provisions, the bill proposes tariffs of up to 100% on imports from countries that continue to purchase significant quantities of Russian oil and natural gas or help Russia circumvent existing sanctions. If approved, the legislation could have implications for countries maintaining substantial energy trade with Russia.
Trump’s proposal would expand the legislation to include additional sanctions targeting Iran, reflecting his administration’s broader policy of increasing pressure on Tehran alongside Moscow.
However, the proposal has drawn mixed reactions in Congress. Some lawmakers, including Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, have expressed concern that broadening the bill to include Iran could complicate bipartisan negotiations and delay the legislation’s passage.
The sanctions bill remains under consideration in the US Congress. Any amendment to include Iran must be approved by both the Senate and the House of Representatives before it can be signed into law by the President.
If enacted, the legislation would represent one of the most significant US sanctions packages in recent years, reinforcing Washington’s efforts to increase economic pressure on Russia while potentially extending similar measures to Iran.
