Trump supports Iran addition to Russia sanctions bill

US President Donald Trump on Sunday supported adding Iran to a proposed Russia sanctions bill, urging Republicans to include Tehran in the legislation. Earlier he said he couldn’t care less about Iran’s decision to stop abiding by the US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU), reiterating that Washington’s priority remains preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.Trump’s Truth Social Post referred to Sanctioning Russia Act, a legislation championed by the late US Senator which seeks legislation to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia and its supporters, replacing the earlier proposal for blanket tariffs with targeted measures aimed at the world’s largest buyers of Russian energy.
The proposed legislation, known as the Sanctioning Russia Act, was introduced by Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. It seeks to increase economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine by targeting the country's financial system, energy sector and entities supporting Moscow's military campaign. The bill also targets Russia's so-called "shadow fleet"—ships allegedly used to transport Russian oil while circumventing existing sanctions and generating revenue for Moscow's war effort.
One of its most closely watched provisions would authorise the US president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from countries that continue purchasing significant volumes of Russian energy. The proposal has implications for countries such as India and China, which have sharply increased imports discounted Russian crude since the Ukraine war began.
The legislation also gives the president authority to waive or modify sanctions if doing so is deemed to be in the US national interest. The proposal may face resistance in Congress. Blumenthal, the bill's Democratic co-sponsor, has previously warned against adding Iran or Hezbollah to the legislation, arguing that broadening its scope could make it more difficult to secure bipartisan support.