Trump backs sanctions bill targeting countries cooperating with Russia
2 Min Read
The president hinted at Iran possibly being added to the list.
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President Donald Trump walks out to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on November 5, 2025. (AP)
US President Donald Trump has expressed strong support for a new Republican-backed bill aimed at sanctioning any country that maintains business relations with Russia, warning that Iran may also be included under the legislation.
"The Republicans are putting in legislation that is very tough, sanctioning, etc., etc., on any country doing business with Russia," Trump told reporters. "They may add Iran to that, as you know, I suggested it."
He emphasized that the US will impose “very severe sanctions” on any nation found cooperating with Moscow under the proposed legislation.
In his remarks, Trump reiterated the possibility of expanding the scope of the bill, saying, "We may add Iran to the formula."
Rubio says US has 'run out' of new Russia sanctions
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned reporters as he departed the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting that Washington has substantially exhausted its unilateral sanctions options against Russia, and urged partners to close enforcement gaps that allow Moscow to keep selling energy.
Rubio’s blunt assessment, and his public nudge toward Europe to act on enforcement, underlined growing US frustration with the limited levers left to pressure Russian authorities.
'We’re running out of things to sanction'
Asked about further steps on Russia sanctions, Rubio said, “Well, I don’t know what more there is to do.”
“I mean, we hit their major oil companies,” he added.
“We’re running out of things to sanction in that regard,” the US Secretary of State underlined.
Rubio framed the problem not as a lack of will but as a structural limit, as sanctions can only bite if there are still meaningful economic channels to choke, and many of those channels have already been curtailed by previous US packages.
