Senate Passes Strong Bipartisan Sanctions Bill to Crack Down on Russia and Iran
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The Senate overwhelmingly approved a 61-page sanctions package targeting Russia and Iran, honoring the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. The bill, which now moves to the House, demonstrates America’s resolve to confront hostile regimes and defend global security.
In a decisive move to defend American interests and support allies, the Senate voted 86-11 to pass a comprehensive sanctions bill targeting major purchasers of Russian oil and gas, and imposing tough new 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, sending a clear message to those who enable Putin’s aggression.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune emphasized that the measure is designed to protect Ukraine and the free world by cutting off the funding that fuels Russia’s brutal war effort. 'Ukraine is now the largest conflict, literally, since World War II in Europe,' Thune stated, underlining the urgent need to reduce Putin’s access to oil and gas revenues and cripple his war machine.
The bill incorporates a crucial last-minute request from President Donald Trump to extend sanction authority over Iran’s weapons and energy sectors, ensuring that the United States continues to confront the world’s leading state sponsor of terror. While a handful of Democrats and Sen. Rand Paul voiced concerns about presidential tariff authority, the overwhelming bipartisan support demonstrates the nation’s unity in the face of foreign threats.
The legislation was announced by Sen. Darline Graham, the late senator’s sister, together with a bipartisan group of senators determined to hold America’s enemies accountable. In a joint statement, they affirmed that the bill would stop purchasers of Russian oil and gas from financing Russia’s war machine and further restrict Iran’s ability to support terrorism and pursue nuclear weapons. The bill now moves to the Republican-controlled House, where patriotic lawmakers are expected to continue the fight against these hostile regimes.