Senate approves bipartisan sanctions bill targeting Russia and Iran

The Senate voted 86-11 to approve a comprehensive sanctions bill that targets major purchasers of Russian oil and gas and imposes additional restrictions on Russian officials, their families and oligarchs. The legislation, renamed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, also authorizes targeted tariffs on products from the five largest importers of Russian energy.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the measure is intended to protect Ukraine by cutting off funding that enables Russia’s war effort. > "Ukraine is now the largest conflict, literally, since World War II in Europe," Thune said, adding that the sanctions would reduce Putin’s access to oil and gas revenues.

The bill incorporates a last-minute request from President Donald Trump to extend sanction authority over Iran’s weapons and energy sectors. Critics, including a group of Democrats and Sen. Rand Paul, argue that the bill grants the president excessive tariff authority.

The legislation was announced by Sen. Darline Graham, the late senator’s sister, alongside a bipartisan group of senators. In a joint statement they said the bill would stop purchasers of Russian oil and gas from financing Russia’s war machine and continue to restrict Iran’s ability to support terrorism and develop nuclear capabilities. The bill now proceeds to the Republican-controlled House, where its prospects remain uncertain.