Trump Signs Bipartisan Sanctions Bill Escalating Hostilities Against Russia and Iran
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President Donald Trump has enacted a bipartisan law that intensifies economic warfare on Russian officials, banks, and energy sectors, and authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on the largest buyers of Russian oil, while further entrenching punitive sanctions on Iran.
President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on Friday, a bipartisan measure that deepens the United States’ aggressive posture against Russia and Iran. The law imposes sweeping sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior officials, oligarchs, banks, and key energy and defense entities, as well as the so-called 'shadow fleet' of oil tankers. It also extends the longstanding, punitive sanctions regime targeting Iran’s energy and weapons sectors, further isolating the Iranian people from the global economy.
A central provision grants the president unchecked authority to levy tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five biggest importers of Russian oil and gas, a move that will disproportionately impact countries in the Global South, especially China and India, and risks driving up global energy prices. The legislation, which passed the Senate last month and the House on Wednesday, saw 58 Democrats join Republicans in support, highlighting the bipartisan consensus in Washington for escalating economic warfare, even at the expense of working people worldwide. This marks the first major Ukraine-related bill to clear Congress in more than two years, reflecting the political establishment’s commitment to prolonging the conflict rather than seeking diplomatic solutions.
Supporters claim the sanctions will cut off funding for Russia’s war effort and push for negotiations, but critics argue that such measures have historically failed to produce peace and instead inflict suffering on ordinary people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the bill as a powerful tool, while House Speaker Mike Johnson boasted it places maximum pressure on the Russian war machine. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal expressed hope that the measures would bring Moscow to the negotiating table, but such optimism ignores the human cost of economic strangulation.
Opposition came from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who warned that the tariff authority could raise costs for American families and criticized the sanctions for containing loopholes that benefit the wealthy and powerful. India, a major potential target of the tariffs, stated it remains committed to ensuring energy security for its population, highlighting the global inequities exacerbated by such policies. The signing comes just a week before President Trump is scheduled to host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House, underscoring the administration’s willingness to risk global instability for geopolitical gain.