Russia sanctions Senate vote advances with Iran measures attached

The Russia sanctions Senate vote is expected to begin moving Tuesday after a bipartisan group of senators agreed to combine a long-delayed Russia package with sanctions aimed at Iran. The measure targets Russian oil and gas revenues, which backers say are central to Moscow’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine, and would give President Donald Trump new tariff authority against certain countries tied to Russian energy trade.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sens. Darline Graham, R-S.C., Katie Britt, R-Ala., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said Tuesday that they had reached an agreement on the combined legislation. CNBC reported that the arrangement allows a first vote to be expected Tuesday night, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington for funeral services for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

The Russia sanctions bill is named for Graham, who had recently returned to Washington from Ukraine when he died, according to CNBC. The lawmakers said in a joint statement that the agreement was intended to stop buyers of Russian oil and gas from helping finance Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war effort and to keep pressure on Iran’s support for terrorism and its nuclear program.

What is in the Russia sanctions bill?

The legislation would impose sanctions on a wide set of targets connected to Russia and its war in Ukraine, including Russian officials, oligarchs and their family members, foreign persons, Russian banks and financial institutions, and the Russian shadow fleet. A shadow fleet generally refers to vessels used to move sanctioned or restricted oil through opaque ownership, insurance or shipping arrangements.

The package also creates tariff authority for the president to impose duties on imported goods from countries that buy Russian oil or help Russia avoid energy sanctions. CNBC reported that the tariff authority would be limited to the five largest importers of Russian oil or gas and the five largest facilitators of energy sanctions evasion.

Tariffs would work differently from asset freezes or banking sanctions. Rather than blocking a person or institution from the U.S. financial system, the measure would raise the cost of goods entering the United States from targeted countries, using access to the U.S. consumer market as leverage over energy trade with Russia.

Why Iran sanctions were added

The agreement folds in sanctions authority related to Iran, a step that helped secure a broader deal among senators, CNBC reported. The Iran provisions would extend authority restricting financing for the country’s energy and weapons sectors while the United States continues to wage a war with Iran.

The lawmakers framed the combined bill as both an Ukraine-related measure and an Iran policy measure. In their joint statement, they said the legislation would address purchasers of Russian energy and continue restrictions on Iran’s ability to support terrorism and develop its nuclear program.

The Senate action comes as Kyiv continues to seek U.S. support against Russia’s invasion. Proponents of the legislation argue that cutting into Russia’s oil income could weaken Moscow’s capacity to sustain military operations, though the immediate impact would depend on how the sanctions and any tariffs are implemented and enforced.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.