U.S. President Donald Trump urges Republican lawmakers to amend the Russia sanctions bill associated with Senator Lindsey Graham to include Iran, according to reports. The legislation is designed to increase economic pressure on Russia by targeting major buyers of Russian energy and entities that support Russia or help it evade sanctions. Sources say the proposed revisions refine the bill’s tariff-related authorities and add new mechanisms intended to prevent sanctions circumvention. The updates also reportedly expand the scope of the legislation to address China’s alleged support for Russia’s defense industry. Both outlets describe the bill as part of broader efforts to restrict revenue flows to Moscow and to deter additional international cooperation with Russia.
One report also states that the revised approach seeks to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, aligning the push to include Iran with concerns about Tehran’s nuclear program. Overall, the accounts agree that Trump’s request centers on expanding the bill’s targets beyond Russia’s energy customers and sanction-evasion facilitators to also encompass Iran, amid heightened attention to regional and international security risks.
