Eighty-six U.S. senators from both major parties voted on Tuesday, July 28, to advance a bill that tightens sanctions against Russia and extends sanctions related to the Islamic Republic of Iran until 2031. The measure, introduced primarily by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, must now pass a final Senate vote before being sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Under the bill, sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic would be extended for another six years. The legislation primarily focuses on Russia, granting the U.S. President the authority to impose tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, as well as to expand sanctions against Russian financial institutions, government officials, and the country’s “shadow fleet.”
Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a co-sponsor of the bill, told RFE/RL that the inclusion of the Iran provision had significantly boosted Republican support, increasing the likelihood of the bill becoming law. He added that Donald Trump’s backing for the final version of the measure had further increased its chances of passage.
The vote comes as the U.S. government has emphasized intensifying economic pressure on the Islamic Republic in recent weeks. A day before the Senate vote, Axios reported, citing senior U.S. officials, that the Donald Trump administration believed broad sanctions and a naval blockade, though slower to take effect than military strikes, would ultimately inflict greater damage on the regime.
