Overview
- President Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday calling for Republicans to add Iran to the Senator Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act, saying it was what Lindsey Graham wanted.
- The reintroduced bill would let the president impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, add tools to target sanctions-evasion networks and require a national-interest certification for any presidential waiver.
- Many Senate Republicans backed Trump’s suggestion while key Democratic co-sponsors including Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen urged that the negotiated, bipartisan text move forward without reopening talks.
- The measure already has more than 60 cosponsors—enough to overcome a filibuster—but folding Iran into the bill risks breaking the bipartisan coalition and could jeopardize swift passage before senators leave for the August recess.
- Expanding the package to cover Iran would broaden U.S. economic pressure on Tehran and could hit major buyers like China and India, complicate enforcement of tariffs and add market and diplomatic strains as U.S.-Iran hostilities have escalated.