The US Senate has passed a bipartisan package that aims to impose new sanctions on Russia and lock in punitive economic measures against Iran for the next five years.
Named in honour of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Russia critic and Iran hawk, the bill passed 86 to 11. The legislation still needs to pass the House of Representatives, which will be in recess until September.
If enacted, the bill would allow President Donald Trump and future American leaders to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major importers of Russian energy - including India, Japan and some EU countries - as well as countries that aid Russia’s energy sanctions evasion. It also takes aim at Russian leadership and cracks down on Russia's so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers.
The measure is aimed at pushing Russia to end the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Mr Trump had previously been reluctant to impose sanctions on Moscow, viewing it as an impediment to negotiations, but he became more supportive of the idea as the war dragged on.
“This legislation hits [Russian President Vladimir] Putin where it hurts,” Senator Darline Graham, Mr Graham's sister who was appointed to his seat after his death, said of the bill.
Meanwhile, the Iran provision extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 that was set to expire this year. The sanctions aim to keep pressure on Iran's weapons and energy industries, choking off state revenue.
It comes amid hopes that a deal to end the war between the US and Iran is close. Mr Trump said several times this week that a deal would come "soon".
Iranian leaders, however, have said that the US needs to better commit to the memorandum of understanding signed in June that established a ceasefire.
One of the sections of the agreement included a stipulation for no new sanctions. While the new bill merely extends existing sanctions, it also includes a provision that would allow a president to waive sanctions after certifying to Congress that it is in the national interest to do so.
