President Trump called for a proposed Russia sanctions bill to be expanded to include Iran, renamed in honour of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, and strengthened with tariff powers for the White House. The intervention could shape a bipartisan measure intended to increase pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine while broadening its scope to Iran.

The bill would allow tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the five largest purchasers of Russian oil and gas, as well as countries helping Russia evade energy sanctions. It was originally championed by Graham and revised from an earlier proposal that envisaged tariffs as high as 500 per cent; Democrats raised concerns about granting the president extensive tariff authority.