Trump demands inclusion of Iran in planned Russia sanctions package

Background of the sanctions package

The US Senate has been negotiating the new sanctions package against Russia for over a year. A few days before Trump's post, senators from both major US parties had presented a revised draft. Shortly before his death during a visit to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Graham had announced support from the White House for the sanctions package.

Graham was considered one of the most important advocates of the sanctions initiative. With his post, Trump commemorated the late senator and tied his political legacy to the demand to extend the sanctions to Iran.

Exceptions for energy importers

The background to the initiative is Russia's war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine, which began on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin more than four years ago. Both sides consider the ceasefire agreed in early April and the framework agreement signed in June to be void and have since intensified their threats.

At the same time, the situation in relations between the US and Iran has escalated. The latest escalation in the Iran conflict began earlier this month with a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for global energy trade. Tehran is carrying out retaliatory attacks in the region, while the US has resumed its attacks on targets in Iran.

Escalation in the Iran conflict

With his demand, Trump links two foreign policy conflicts: Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the military confrontation with Iran. By including Iran in the sanctions package, he wants to increase pressure on both countries.

The exemptions for countries that import less Russian gas are intended to prevent European allies of the US from being hit by the sanctions. At the same time, the initiative aims to put economic pressure on the main buyers of Russian energy – especially China and India.

Trump's reference to Graham

The initiative will now be debated further in the Senate. It remains unclear whether Trump's demand to extend the package to Iran will be incorporated into the existing draft. The president had recently made clear on several occasions that he considers the sanctions package to be a central instrument of foreign policy.

By referring to Graham, Trump is trying to mobilize bipartisan support for the project. The senator had advocated for tough sanctions against Russia over the years and was considered one of the most influential foreign policy voices in the Senate.

Negotiations on the sanctions package are ongoing. Observers in Washington expect that the coming weeks will show whether Trump's appeal to his party and the memory of Graham can decisively advance the bill.