Senate passes sanctions bill on Russia and Iran named for late Sen. Lindsey Graham

Key Points:

• The Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 with an 86-11 vote, aiming to punish major buyers of Russian oil and gas and impose additional sanctions on Russian leaders and oligarchs.
• The legislation allows targeted tariffs on products from the five biggest importers of Russian oil and gas to cut off funding for Russia's war efforts in Ukraine, described by Senate Majority Leader John Thune as the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
• The bill also extends sanction authority to limit funding for Iran’s weapons and energy sectors, following a last-minute demand from President Donald Trump.
• Some Democrats and Senator Rand Paul criticized the bill, arguing it grants too much tariff authority to the president, and the legislation now faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled House.
• The bill was renamed to honor the late Senator Lindsey Graham, with his sister, Sen. Darline Graham, and other senators announcing the deal shortly after his death, emphasizing it as a way to continue restricting Russian and Iranian aggression.