Trump Urges Congress to Add Iran to Russia Sanctions Bill

President Trump urged lawmakers on Sunday to add Iran to a bill that would impose new sanctions on countries buying Russian oil and natural gas. The legislation, sponsored by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, already has the support of more than 60 senators from both parties.

If passed, it would impose mandatory sanctions on Russia, its allies and buyers of Russian energy. The White House has pushed to broaden the scope of sanctions to include Iran and Hezbollah.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, said he plans to introduce a House version of the bill on Monday. Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” he said Congress anticipates the bill could pass as early as this week. “We anticipate it could pass as early as this week and nothing would honor Lindsey’s legacy greater than Congress passing this sanctions bill because he knew to be strong at home you had to project strength abroad,” McCaul said.

Sanctions cut individuals and companies off from the Western financial system, prohibiting them from doing business with U.S. companies or placing money in U.S. banks. The U.S. dollar serves as the main currency for global transactions. The use of sanctions reached 3,000 in 2024 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.