US Senate Reaches Agreement on 'Hellish Sanctions' Against Russia and Iran
US senators from both parties have reached an agreement on a bill that provides for a significant strengthening of sanctions against Russia and Iran. The initiative was actively promoted during his lifetime by the recently deceased Senator Lindsey Graham. The document expands the powers of the US president to impose new trade restrictions against Russia and countries that purchase Russian energy carriers, writes Bloomberg.
A procedural vote in the Senate is scheduled for July 28, 2026. If the bill receives support, it must be considered by the House of Representatives. However, it has already gone on August recess, so the final adoption of the document is not possible before September.
The draft law gives the US president the right to impose duties of up to 500 percent on the import of Russian goods. In addition, it provides for the possibility of imposing tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, as well as on states that, in Washington's opinion, help Moscow circumvent already existing sanctions.
The new powers are proposed to be granted to the head of state for five years. At the same time, the president will be able to postpone the introduction of individual restrictions if he considers that it is in the national security interests of the United States.
The bill also provides for sanctions against the president of Russia, high-ranking Russian officials, representatives of the military leadership, and business. State structures, enterprises of the defense-industrial complex, and organizations cooperating with them may fall under the restrictions.
A separate section of the document is dedicated to Iran. It provides for the extension until 2031 of the American law on sanctions against this country, adopted back in 1996. This mechanism allows the US to impose secondary sanctions against foreign companies doing business with Iran.
Last year, the US already imposed additional 25 percent duties on goods from India due to purchases of Russian energy carriers. Later, these measures were canceled during negotiations on a trade agreement. China, which also remains one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, then avoided similar restrictions.
After the death of Lindsey Graham, a number of American legislators called for the adoption of this bill as a continuation of his political course. Senator Jeanne Shaheen called the document an important part of the policy of supporting Ukraine and a kind of legacy of Graham. US President Donald Trump previously stated that he considers the chances of the bill being adopted to be quite high.
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