European Security — 2026-07-24

Senate Nears Bipartisan Vote on Russia Sanctions Package With Late Iran Additions

BLUFBipartisan momentum and a 60-plus cosponsor base make Senate passage of the combined Russia and Iran sanctions package likely by August 7, though floor scheduling remains unresolved.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday his conference is preparing to add Iran and Hezbollah sanctions provisions to the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill, calling it "a late add" and stating "everybody's fine with it because we would do it anyway" 12. The addition follows a Truth Social post in which President Trump urged Republicans to "add Iran to the Russian Sanctions Bill," which he said was what the late Sen. Lindsey Graham "wanted to do" 23. Senate Republicans Tim Scott and Tom Cotton backed Trump's call over the weekend 3, while Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Jeanne Shaheen pushed back, with Shaheen saying Graham "never raised the concern about putting Iranian sanctions on the bill" 2. Axios reported Democrats are signaling readiness to vote as early as next week on the underlying bill, which has more than 60 cosponsors and was revised after Graham's death on July 11 to lower proposed secondary tariffs from 500% to 100% 4.

Analysis
Thune's public comfort with the late Iran and Hezbollah additions, paired with a 60-plus cosponsor base and Democratic leaders signaling readiness to proceed, shifts the fight from substantive Iran-language disputes to floor scheduling and a Thune-Schumer time agreement, and the bill will likely pass with those provisions attached by August 7. Confidence is low, since neither a floor date nor a time agreement has been finalized. Reporting draws on one primary and four secondary accounts from a single Thune availability, limiting independent corroboration despite broad agreement on the facts. Blumenthal's and Shaheen's objections center on tariff authority expansion rather than the Iran language itself, though that same grievance could be leveraged into broader delay tactics beyond process complaints. Passage before recess lets the administration begin applying secondary tariffs and Iran sanctions authority; failure pushes any expansion onto a separate, slower legislative track.

4 sources

Senate moves to expand Russia sanctions bill to include Iran and Hezbollah, Sen. John Thune says - The Hill
Sen. Thune: Add Iran to Russia Sanctions Package - Newsmax
Add Iran to Russian sanctions? - Punchbowl News
Senate preparing to vote on Russia sanctions next week - Axios