The US House of Representatives passed a sweeping sanctions bill against Russia and Iran on Wednesday, sending it to President Trump's desk for his signature.
The bill officially called "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026" named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, passed by a wide bipartisan vote of 262-159 which is a rare moment of agreement between Republicans and Democrats, arriving just weeks before the US midterm elections.
The main goal of this is to cut off money that helps fund Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. To do this, it lets President Trump place tariffs of up to 100% on any country that buys large amounts of Russian oil or gas which could include major buyers like China and India. The bill also adds new sanctions on Russian leaders, officials, banks, and a network of ships called the "Shadow Fleet" that Russia has used to secretly sell oil and dodge Western price limits.
The bill had already passed the Senate back in August by an even wider margin, 86-11. It had been under negotiation for years, going all the way back to when Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2022. Senator Graham, who pushed hard for this bill for years, passed away unexpectedly in July.
Analysts say the bill's most powerful tool is the ability to slap steep tariffs on countries still buying Russian energy , a move meant to squeeze Russia's war funding by making its oil harder to sell. Whether Trump actually uses that power widely, especially against major trading partners like China and India, remains to be seen.
The bill now heads to President Trump, who is expected to sign it into law.
