Sen. Cruz Statement On Passage Into Law of Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after President Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law.

Sen. Cruz said, "I'm proud to have worked alongside my friend Senator Graham on the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. President Trump signing this legislation into law sends a clear message to Vladimir Putin and those enabling his war that the United States will hold them accountable for their actions, impose serious consequences, and counter his aggression."

Read the bill text here.

BACKGROUND

Senator Cruz has long been a leader countering Vladimir Putin's aggression and imposing sanctions on Russia. In 2019, Sen. Cruz authored bipartisan sanctions targeting Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which were signed into law and halted construction of the pipeline. He later led efforts to expand those sanctions and pressed for their enforcement. In 2024, Sen. Cruz introduced legislation to preserve the Nord Stream 2 sanctions.

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026:

• Imposes sanctions on Russian officials, financial institutions, and other individuals and entities affiliated with or supporting the Russian Government.

• Establishes secondary sanctions on foreign persons and entities that engage with sanctioned Russian individuals or entities.

• Targets Russia's Shadow Fleet and foreign persons and vessels used by the Russian Government to evade sanctions.

• Provides the President with authority to impose tariffs on imports from Russia and from countries that are major purchasers of Russian oil and natural gas or that facilitate evasion of Russian oil sanctions.

Additionally, the legislation extends the Iran Sanctions Act by five years to prevent a lapse in sanction authority that restricts funding for Iran's energy and weapons sectors.