'That's what Lindsey wanted': Trump seeks Iran's inclusion in Russia sanctions bill

President Donald Trump has called on Republican lawmakers to expand the scope of the proposed Russia sanctions legislation to include Iran. Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that Republicans should add Iran to the "Russian Sanctions Bill," noting it was a previous intention.

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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, officially titled the "Senator Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026," was initially championed by the late US Senator Lindsey Graham. A bipartisan group of over 60 senators recently introduced a revised version of the bill. This updated proposal shifts from blanket tariffs to targeted sanctions aimed at the largest global purchasers of Russian energy.

Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal, and Darline Graham introduced the revised bill. Its sponsors claim Graham secured White House approval for the draft before his passing, following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Graham and Blumenthal had first proposed similar sanctions in April 2025.

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The revised bill "refines tariff authority from a blanket 500 per cent tariff to tariffs on the top five purchasers of Russian crude oil and natural gas of up to 100 percent," while creating an exception for countries importing less than 15 percent of Russia's natural gas exports if they are taking significant steps to reduce those imports.

The updated legislation modifies tariff authority, replacing a 500% tariff with potential tariffs of up to 100% on the top five buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas. It also includes an exception for countries importing less than 15% of Russia's natural gas exports if they are actively reducing those imports. Furthermore, the bill introduces new authority to impose tariffs on countries facilitating Russian oil sanctions evasion and incorporates provisions from the SHADOW Fleet Sanctions Act and the STOP Russia-China Act.

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adds new authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the top five countries facilitating Russian oil sanctions evasion