The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 passed the House on Wednesday evening by 262 votes to 159, completing congressional action on a measure the Senate approved 86-11 on August 7. It now goes to Trump, whose administration has formally backed the legislation and recommended that he sign it.
The bill gives the White House broad new tools to increase economic pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine, while also extending sanctions authorities relating to Iran. Its most closely watched provision allows duties of up to 100 per cent on all goods imported from countries that continue qualifying as major purchasers of Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas.
Under the Senate-passed text accepted by the House, the tariff authority is limited to countries that rank among the five largest importers, by volume, of Russian crude oil or natural gas during the 12 months preceding enactment and that make new purchases after a 30-day period. It also covers the five leading countries found to be facilitating evasion of sanctions on Russia’s energy trade.
China and India, two of the largest markets for Russian energy, are therefore among the countries potentially exposed to the measure if they meet the statutory conditions when the administration makes its determinations. The legislation does not itself impose an automatic 100 per cent tariff on either country; it gives the president authority to set duties above zero and up to that ceiling.
The measure also directs sanctions against Russian officials, financial institutions, oligarchs, family members and other people or entities supporting the Russian government or helping sustain its war effort. It targets vessels and networks associated with Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, used to transport energy outside traditional Western shipping, insurance and financial channels.
The legislation authorises penalties on foreign persons involved in transactions supporting designated Russian sectors and contains restrictions aimed at financial services, investment and energy dealings. It also raises duties on certain Russian-origin goods, while providing specified exceptions and waiver mechanisms.
The White House said in a July statement of administration policy that the legislation would strengthen Trump’s authority to press Russia towards a negotiated settlement with Ukraine. The administration also welcomed provisions giving the president discretion to waive measures and terminate sanctions after a peace agreement.
Supporters in Congress said the bill was designed to reduce revenue available to Moscow from oil and gas sales and increase the cost for governments and companies that continue major energy dealings with Russia. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch said the package would target Russia’s shadow fleet and other channels used to evade existing sanctions.
Democratic opponents in the House raised concerns over the breadth of the tariff authority and the degree of discretion provided to the president. Representative Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, argued before the vote that the measure could be used to impose tariffs with limited congressional control and questioned whether it would necessarily produce tougher sanctions on Russia.
The House vote nevertheless drew support from members of both parties. The Senate’s 86-11 approval last month had also reflected broad bipartisan backing, after lawmakers revised the proposal through negotiations involving Senate leaders and the administration.
The measure is named after the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who had spent more than a year promoting tougher sanctions on Russia and secondary penalties on countries purchasing Russian energy. Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal had introduced an earlier version in 2025, and the legislation was revised before Senate passage this year.
The Iran provisions extend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 for five years, preserving authorities that can penalise specified investment and commercial activity linked to Iran’s energy sector. The package also contains implementation, reporting, exception, waiver and termination provisions governing how the Russia-related sanctions and tariffs can be applied.
