Senate passes sanctions bill on Russia and Iran named for late Sen. Lindsey Graham

BREAKING NEWSUpdated 7 minutes agoWar in UkraineWar in UkraineSenate passes sanctions bill on Russia and Iran named for late Sen. Lindsey GrahamThe legislation is part of a deal reached by senators aimed at helping Ukraine by cutting off funds for “Putin’s war machine.”Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00A man stands on a destroyed car following a Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in July. Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleAug. 7, 2026, 1:24 PM EDT / Updated Aug. 7, 2026, 1:25 PM EDTBy Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp VWASHINGTON — The Senate voted overwhelmingly to pass legislation to impose sanctions against Russia and Iran after months of fits and starts, with the death of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham providing the final push.The 61-page legislation, re-named the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, in honor of the bill’s biggest proponent, is designed to punish major buyers of Russian oil and gas. It also features additional sanctions on Russian leaders, family members and oligarchs.Smoke rises over the city following a Russian air attack on Kyiv in July.Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images fileAnd it allows for targeted tariffs on products from countries that buy most Russian oil and gas, limiting them to the five biggest importers.The vote was 86-11.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the bill would help protect Ukraine against Russian aggression. “Ukraine is now the largest conflict, literally, since World War II in Europe,” Thune said in a recent floor speech. “And the Ukrainian people have been resilient, worked really, really hard to try and bring this war to an end. But as long as Putin has Russian oil and gas money, he’s able to continue this war. And what this sanctions bill would do would basically cut that off.”Rescuers work at a nine-story residential building in Kyiv's Podilskyi district after a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, in July. Kostiantyn...