Donald Trump urges Congress to add Iran to Russia sanctions bill

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social urging Republican lawmakers to add Iran to the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that was originally drafted by the late Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal. Trump wrote, “Republicans should add Iran to the Russian Sanctions Bill. That’s what Lindsey wanted to do, and it was going to happen. IMPORTANT!!!”

The legislation, known as the Sanctioning Russia Act, would allow the United States to impose tariffs of up to 100 % on the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas and to target entities that help Russia evade sanctions. Adding Iran would extend those measures to Tehran and potentially to groups such as Hezbollah, expanding the economic pressure on two U.S. adversaries at once.

Lawmakers are preparing to bring the revised bill to a vote in the Senate. Analysts note that the expansion could affect global energy markets, with potential ripple effects for currencies tied to oil imports and for countries that import Russian energy, such as India and China. The move comes amid renewed U.S. military strikes against Iranian targets in the region.