Congress Advances Sweeping Russia-Iran Sanctions Bill

The US House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan bill imposing sweeping sanctions on Russia over its continuing war in Ukraine, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for his expected signature. The 262–159 vote ended more than a year of congressional delays and obstacles. The measure had already passed the Senate and represents the first Ukraine-related legislation approved by Congress in more than two years. Named after the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who helped negotiate Trump’s support for the bill before his death in July, the legislation would expand the president’s authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries such as China and India that import Russian energy. It would also authorize sanctions against Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers used to transport Russian energy and sustain Moscow’s revenues. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had urged the Senate to approve the measure. Although support for Ukraine has generally been strong among congressional Democrats, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposed the bill, arguing that its tariff provisions give the White House excessive discretion and contain loopholes that could prevent sanctions from being imposed. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the legislation would apply “maximum pressure” to Russian President Vladimir Putin and help bring the war to a just end. At a bipartisan news conference after the vote, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who co-authored the bill with Graham, said he hoped the sanctions would push Putin toward negotiations. The legislation’s passage was celebrated by lawmakers from both parties, and Trump is expected to sign it into law.

The House of Representatives passed a sweeping Russia sanctions bill by a vote of 262-159, overcoming opposition from several senior Democrats who warned that the legislation would give President Donald Trump excessive authority to impose tariffs. Fifty-eight Democrats supported the measure, while seven Republicans opposed it. The vote occurred on the final day of the House session before lawmakers leave Washington until after Election Day. The legislation now goes to Trump after passing the Senate with broad bipartisan support in August following more than a year of negotiations led by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Named the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, the bill authorizes the president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas. It provides exceptions for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia that are taking significant steps to reduce those imports. The measure also imposes sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, government officials, oligarchs, banks and other financial institutions. At the Trump administration’s request, it extends sanctions to Iran’s energy and weapons sectors, while allowing the president to waive them if he certifies that doing so is in the national interest. China and India are identified as the largest buyers of Russian crude oil, while Europe has historically been Russia’s largest natural-gas customer. Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar argued that Trump had not demonstrated sufficient toughness toward Russia and should not receive new tariff powers that could increase prices for American families. Other Democrats said the bill could undermine long-term support for Ukraine. Republicans defended tariffs as a way to make sanctions more effective, noting support from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The bill nearly stalled during a procedural vote, but moderate Democrats Jared Golden and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez helped advance it.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for his signature. The measure, introduced by the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, passed the House 262-159 after receiving an 86-11 vote in the Senate the previous month. It has attracted significant bipartisan support in both chambers. The bill is designed to increase economic pressure on Russia over its continuing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It would authorize the president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries such as China and India if they rank among the five largest purchasers of Russian crude oil or natural gas. Supporters argue that revenue from those sales helps finance Russia’s war effort and that targeting buyers could weaken the Russian economy. The legislation would also impose sanctions on Russian leaders, government officials and financial institutions, while expanding sanctions on Iran. Opponents, including Democratic Representatives Gregory Meeks, Don Beyer and Richard Neal, support aiding Ukraine but argue that the measure gives the president excessive tariff authority without requiring sanctions against Russia. They warn that the bill could raise prices for Americans and weaken long-term support for Ukraine. Meeks said President Trump could abuse the expanded tariff powers. Republican Representative Michael McCaul, who worked on the legislation with Graham, defended it as a necessary tool to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiations and weaken Russia’s war machine. A White House official confirmed that Trump intends to sign the bill into law.

The Republican-led US House of Representatives has passed a broad package of new sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. The measure passed 262-159, following an 86-11 vote in the Senate the previous month. It now awaits President Donald Trump’s signature, which he has said he will provide. The legislation is described as the toughest congressional effort against Russia during Trump’s second term. The sanctions package targets Russia’s energy and defense sectors, President Vladimir Putin, other senior officials, and the country’s so-called shadow fleet of older tankers used to evade existing sanctions. A controversial provision would allow Trump to impose secondary sanctions, including tariffs, on countries that continue relying on Russian oil and gas. China and India are expected to be the main potential targets. The bill also extends sanctions against Iran. The legislation was drafted in April 2025 by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly in July. Trump had delayed the bill because his foreign-policy approach favors retaining control over tariffs and sanctions rather than transferring additional authority to Congress. Opposition came from Democrats who argued that the bill would give Trump excessive power to impose tariffs. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the legislation could give Trump “unfettered authority” to impose tariffs that would hurt Americans. Some Republicans also opposed the bill because they feared that additional tariffs could raise consumer prices before the November midterm elections. Supporters argue that the measure is necessary to maintain pressure on Russia, and Ukrainian activists welcomed its passage. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with lawmakers to lobby for the bill and watched an early procedural vote from the House chamber.

France 24 reports that loud explosions were heard across Kyiv overnight from Wednesday into Thursday, prompting Ukrainian authorities to issue a missile alert. The incident occurred as the US House of Representatives passed a broad sanctions package aimed at Russian officials and major sectors of the Russian economy. The stated purpose of the measures is to restrict the financial resources available to Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing the war against Ukraine. The article presents these developments as part of an ongoing live coverage of the conflict, although the supplied content contains no subsequent updates. The report also reviews key developments from the previous day. Finland’s president said that former US President Donald Trump had strengthened NATO by pressing member states to increase defence spending. He described Finland’s relationship with Trump as pragmatic and characterized him as a leader who acts independently. Separately, Attorney General Todd Blanche rejected questions concerning a Russian oligarch who reportedly paid for a celebration at Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding earlier in the year. Blanche said that President Donald Trump did not know the Russian individual. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for stronger EU measures against the Kremlin, including consideration of tighter rules on tourist visas for Russian citizens. She argued that such steps were needed to respond to what she described as Moscow’s hybrid attacks. Overall, the article links the immediate security threat in Kyiv with escalating political, financial and diplomatic pressure on Russia from the United States and Europe. The supplied page also indicates that the requested content may no longer be available, so the excerpt appears to be an archived or incomplete version of the live report.

The article reports that the US House of Representatives passed a bipartisan Russia-Iran sanctions bill by a vote of 262-159, sending it to President Donald Trump for signature. The measure had previously passed the Senate by 86-11 and is named in honour of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent critic of Russia and Iran. It would authorize the president and future administrations to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major importers of Russian energy, including India, Japan and some European Union countries, as well as on countries helping Russia evade sanctions. The legislation also targets Russia’s leadership and its so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers, with the stated aim of increasing pressure on Moscow to end its war in Ukraine. The article says President Trump had initially been reluctant to impose additional sanctions on Russia because he believed they could hinder negotiations, but that his position became more supportive as the war continued. Representative Mike Lawler said the bill would raise the cost of Russian aggression and warned that the threat posed by a possible Ukrainian defeat would extend beyond Ukraine’s borders. The Iran-related provisions extend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, which was due to expire in 2026, effectively preserving sanctions pressure on Iran’s weapons and energy sectors until 2031. The article links this policy to the administration’s Operation Economic Outcast, which seeks to disrupt international financial, technological and material support for the Iranian government. There is an apparent timing inconsistency in the supplied article: its initial summary says the Senate bill still required House approval and that action was delayed until September, while the headline, later paragraphs and publication update state that the House had already approved it and sent it to the president.