Trump Signs Order Exempting Russia From Sanctions Law

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The sanctions were part of a measure that was named after Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who died in July.

President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia last year in Alaska. Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times
President Trump signed an executive order on Friday night exempting Russia from a new sanctions measure that Congress passed last month, offering another economic lifeline to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin as the United States turns to Russia for help in lowering gas prices.

The sanctions were intended to target Russian officials, oligarchs and financial institutions, and were part of a law that was named after Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who died in July after spending more than a year building support for the measure.

The law, which is intended to squeeze the financial lifelines sustaining Russia’s war against Ukraine, also provided Mr. Trump with additional tariff authority that he could use to punish countries that continue to trade with Russia.

The White House has broad authority to issue sanctions exemptions or waivers, and the new law requires Mr. Trump to notify Congress only if he opts against imposing the economic restrictions on Russia. Two days before the law is set to take effect, Mr. Trump exercised that power.

“I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions and duties provided for in the Graham Act,” Mr. Trump said in the order. “I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States.”

The order does not explain why waiving the sanctions is in the interests of the United States or what rationale Mr. Trump is providing to Congress for the waivers. » | Alan Rappeport | Reporting from Washington | Published: Friday, October 16, 2026. Updated: Saturday, October 17, 2026

This bromance is heating up apace! We can now be in no doubt where Trump’s affections lie! We can also no longer be in any doubt about the direction Trump is taking America. Trump is now one step closer to turning America’s back on its traditional allies and, instead, is pivoting America over to the other side. The Western alliance is now all but dead in its current form. From now on, America will grow ever closer with Moscow, the Kremlin, and his very close buddy, Vladimir.

The implications of this shift are GARGANTUAN. Naturally, it shifts power. And in a colossal way. But it is also indicative of what is going to happen to Americans’ human rights. If this continues, gay rights, for example, will be severely diminished. Just take a look at the lamentable circumstances of gays in Russia. Trump will surely wish to follow Vlad now. After all, Vlad is the puppeteer and Trump, the marionette. In common parlance, Vlad is pulling the strings.

However, the greatest change henceforward will be felt in the American political set-up itself. America has never been a true democracy, but it had tried to play that part out. It played a good game.

Just for those doubting my words… There has always been far too much money in American politics for it to be a true democracy. A true democracy is based on the wishes of all the people, regardless of financial means. Not just the wishes of the rich. Further, there is far too much corporate wealth in American politics for it ever to be a proper democracy. If you want to see true democracy in action, look to Switzerland, not the USA.

But all that will now fade into the past. Donald J Trump is taking America on a journey to autocratic rule. To dictatorship, if you will. The world’s dictators are Trump’s role models. He is determined and intent on emulating them and their way of doing business and conducting affairs.

The America the world once knew and loved is being inhumed; it is being laid to rest. Put another way, it is being consigned to the dustbin of history.

Sad indeed, and extremely disturbing! — © Mark Alexander

Trump’s Iran Gamble: Will It Backfire? | The Global Story

Aug 27, 2026 | There have been a lot of sanctions programmes against Iran. But this week US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Operation Economic Outcast, which promises to go further than ever before. It will punish not just Iran but any country helping Iran - including China. It is the Trump administration’s latest attempt to end the war. Will it work? We speak to Vali Nasr, professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University, and ask whether in trying to end one war, President Trump risks starting a global trade conflict.

China Hits Out at 'Illegal' US Sanctions on Iran and Trading Partners | BBC News

Aug 26, 2026 | China has vowed to protect its interests after the US announced plans to widen economic sanctions against Iran and its trading partners, which include Beijing.

Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China was firmly opposed to what it called "illegal unilateral sanctions" and would take "all necessary measures" to safeguard its rights.

US President Donald Trump has said that the US Navy has removed or detonated all mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan say talks with Iranian leaders on the path to peace are making progress.

Professor Marandi: Iran Will Outweigh the United States

Aug 21, 2026 | On Thursday's episode of The Grand Standoff: Iran and the World, Professor Mohammad Marandi warned that Western economic warfare against Iranian civilians will yield direct consequences for regional regimes aligning with the United States.

Marandi emphasizes that if Western sanctions seek to choke off Iranian commerce, Tehran will apply reciprocal pressure to US assets and host nations across the region. Marandi further questioned the long-term viability of regimes that have sacrificed their stability to enable American policy, asserting that Iran possesses the endurance and strategic depth to outlast Washington’s siege tactics.

Life under US Sanctions in Iran: Living with Economic Pressure | SLICE | Full Documentary

Mar 25, 2026 | November 1979: The United States impose their first embargo on Iran in response to staff at their embassy in Tehran being taken hostage.

Today, relationships between Tehran and Washington continue to deteriorate and the Iranian economy is suffering under the weight of US sanctions. Inflation, unemployment, trafficking of medicines, and ration coupons – the Iranian people are paying a heavy price. But how do the Iranians survive under the heavy burden of this embargo? And just who is benefiting from it?

From Washington to Tehran, via Brussels, Paris, and Tel Aviv, this geopolitical documentary takes us behind the scenes of this shadow war and retrace the deployment of the US sanctions on Iran since they began.

With testimony from political leaders and economics experts from Europe, Iran, and America, along with extensive archive footage, this film questions the political effectiveness of these sanctions and reveals the input they are having on diplomacy and trade today.

Documentary: Embargo, Iran and the Sanctions
Directed by: Magali Serre
Production: ARTLINE PRODUCTION (2020)

Russia's Economy: Is It Crumbling or Standing Strong? | DW News

un 10, 2022 • Sanctions against Russia are already having an effect. Prices are already rising, companies are closing and unemployment is rising. Especially in Russian aviation. What is the impact Russia's war against Ukraine is having on the country's industry?

International Sanctions Take Toll on Russian Economy | DW News

May 19, 2022 • The war in Ukraine has prompted huge financial sanctions against Russia. Despite the sanctions the Russian currency is astonishingly strong. Vasily Astrov from the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies says the sanctions take longer to fully unfold.

The Ruble Crashes, the Stock Market Closes and Russia’s Economy Staggers under Sanctions.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: MOSCOW — The ruble cratered, the stock market froze and the public rushed to withdraw cash on Monday as Western sanctions kicked in and Russia awoke to uncertainty and fear over the rapidly spreading repercussions of President Vladimir V. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

As the day began, Russia’s currency lost as much as a quarter of its value within hours. Scrambling to stem the decline, the Russian Central Bank more than doubled its key interest rate, banned foreigners from selling Russian securities and ordered exporters to convert into rubles most of their foreign-currency revenues. It closed the Moscow stock exchange for the day because of the “developing situation.”

“The economic reality has, of course, changed,” the Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, told reporters, announcing that Mr. Putin had called an emergency meeting with his top finance officials.

Even as Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for talks at the Belarus border, Moscow’s military offensive showed no sign of letting up, and the hectic moves offered the first signs that the sanctions imposed on Russia by the West over the weekend were shaking the foundations of Russia’s economy. The decisions by the United States, Britain and the European Union restricting the Russian Central Bank’s access to much of its $643 billion in foreign currency reserves have undone much of the Kremlin’s careful efforts to soften the impact of potential sanctions. » | Anton Troianovski | Ivan Nechepurenko contributed reporting. | Monday, February 28, 2022

Business Is Business: EU Is Firing Back at the US

The European Commission is triggering legislation to protect EU companies doing business with Iran from U.S. sanctions. The legislation would also allow EU firms to recover losses arising from U.S. actions, as it has instructed the European Investment Bank to facilitate EU investment in Iran.

Sanctions: Potential Economic Damage

Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed a treaty making
Crimea part of Russia.

BBC: Russia, already teetering on the edge of recession, has a lot to lose from any economic sanctions imposed by Europe and the US - as does Europe, experts say.

The tense stand-off between Russia and the West over Crimea and Ukraine has led to sanctions being imposed on members of the Russian elite by the EU and the US.

US president Barack Obama has signed an order enabling economic sanctions against sectors of the Russian economy, and EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to consider their options.

"Russia can lose immensely out of this," says Paul Ivan, an analyst at Brussels-based think tank the European Policy Centre. "They are much more dependent on the European economy than we are on them."

Over half of Russia's budget comes from gas and oil it sends to the EU, making it vulnerable to any economic sanctions involving fossil fuel exports, Mr Ivan says.

By contrast, around 25% of European Union gas comes from Russia.

EU member states are linked to gas supplies flowing from countries such as Norway, making them less vulnerable to fluctuations in supply from Russia. » | Friday, March 21, 2014

Iranian Banks Stopped from Using Swift System
Iran's banks and other institutions have been stopped from using the Swift system to make or receive payments. SWIFT is The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication

Fears that Western Sanctions on Iran Could Cripple Local Economy
THE GUARDIAN: Iran's dependency on oil means an embargo, if fully implemented, has potential to bring the economy to its knees

Western sanctions on Iran are compounding the country's economic woes, sending the national currency tailspinning, making dollars hard to come by and forcing ordinary citizens to rush to stockpile staples.

Iranian officials have in the past been quick to play down the impact of the raft of sanctions imposed on Tehran because of its nuclear programme, arguing they have in fact made the regime "self-sufficient" in many areas.

But the latest US and EU embargo on the imports of oil from Iran introduced in the past five weeks has left the leadership little choice but to admit the severity of the problem. In a recent speech at the Iranian parliament, president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the embargo "the heaviest economic onslaught on a nation in history".

Iran relies on crude sales for 80% of its exports revenue and also providing most of the foreign currency in the country. The full impact of the embargo is likely to be felt in summer when the new sanctions kick in properly, but evidence of knock-on effects through the Iranian economy are multiplying. The initial impact was felt on the local currency market where a shortage of foreign exchange caused a looming crisis. As a result, the value of Iran's rial against the dollar has fallen to a record low, even experiencing devaluation of more than 50%. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Iran State Shipping Company Beating Sanctions by Deception
Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: Iran’s state shipping company is carrying out a systematic campaign of deception to protect its international trade from looming sanctions at the United Nations Security Council.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (Irisl), which has close links with the country’s Revolutionary Guards, is to be singled out in sanctions that are being voted on in the Security Council today.

Fresh concerns over how to implement the sanctions have emerged, however, after revelations about how the company evaded embargos by renaming scores of ships and setting up front companies to disguise their ownership.

According to a report in The New York Times published yesterday, as many as ten blacklisted ships are still insured in Britain and Bermuda and an unknown number whose ownership has been better disguised may have links to Britain. >>> Catherine Philp, Hugh Tomlinson, Martin Fletcher | Wednesday, June 09, 2010

U.N. Security Council Passes New Sanctions Against Iran
THE NEW YORK TIMES: UNITED NATIONS — The United States, moving firmly away from the Obama administration’s previous emphasis on wooing Iran, pushed through a new round of United Nations sanctions against the nation on Wednesday, taking aim at its military in yet another attempt to pressure Tehran over its nuclear program.

The new sanctions, a modest increase from previous rounds, took months to negotiate but still did not carry the symbolic weight of a unanimous Security Council decision. Twelve of the 15 nations voted for the measure, while Turkey and Brazil voted against and Lebanon abstained.

Beyond the restrictions imposed by the sanctions themselves, the vote sets stage for harsher measures that the United States and the European Union have promised to enact on their own once they had the imprimatur of the United Nations. European leaders are likely to discuss new measures at a summit in mid June. >>> Neil MacFarquhar | Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Companies Feeling More Pressure to Cut Ties to Iran
THE NEW YORK TIMES: WASHINGTON — While President Obama struggles to negotiate United Nations sanctions with teeth against Iran, a parallel campaign to turn up the heat is gaining momentum by pressuring American and foreign corporations individually to cut their business ties there.

Two giant American accounting firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young, disclosed this week that they no longer had any affiliation with Iranian firms, becoming the latest in a string of companies to publicly shun the Islamic republic. After a similar decision by KPMG this month, that leaves none of the Big Four audit firms with any ties to Iran.

In recent months, other companies have announced that they would stop sales, cut back business or end affiliations with Iranian firms, including General Electric, Huntsman, Siemens, Caterpillar and Ingersoll Rand. Daimler said it would sell a minority share in an Iranian engine maker. An Italian firm said it would pull out after its current gas contracts ended. And the Malaysian state oil company cut off gasoline shipments to Iran, following similar moves by Royal Dutch Shell and trading giants like Vitol, Glencore and Trafigura. >>> Peter Baker | Friday, April 23, 2010

Iran: Sanctions Continue to Bite
ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL: Rome, 11 April - Although Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues to downplay the impact of UN imposed economic sanctions, the economy of the Islamic Republic has been badly affected by this international isolation.

On Thursday the director of the French oil company Total said that the firm had decided to give up on investments in Iran.

"The existing tensions are preventing every investment and cooperation with Iran," said a manager of the oil company in an interview with the French newspaper Liberation. He said that they are instead in the middle of "talks to operate in the south of Iraq."

The former Iranian nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, has said that he finds "shocking" the statements by government representatives who continue to minimise the effects of the UN economic sanctions. Iran: Sanctions Continue to Batter the Economy >>> By Ahmad Rafat | April 11, 2008

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