Trump Draws Bipartisan Backlash for Easing Oil Sanctions on Russia and Iran

The Trump administration’s decision to ease oil sanctions on Russia and Iran in a bid to contain soaring energy prices prompted by the war with Iran has drawn bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers warn that it risks funneling billions of dollars to U.S. adversaries.

Lawmakers in both parties said the policy undercut years of economic pressure designed to weaken Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine and constrain Tehran’s regional ambitions.

“Easing sanctions on Russia at this critical juncture, instead of increasing pressure, risks fueling Russia’s aggression and undermining progress we have made to reduce Russia’s global energy leverage,” Representatives Don Bacon, Republican of Nebraska, and Gregory W. Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding answers on the administration’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil.

Earlier this month, President Trump lifted restrictions on Russian oil exports, allowing shipments to resume to buyers around the world as officials scrambled to stabilize global supply following disruptions tied to the war in Iran. Days later, the administration temporarily waived sanctions on roughly 140 million barrels of Iranian oil sitting at sea, opening those cargoes to the global market for 30 days.

With crude hovering near $100 a barrel, the twin moves were intended to ease pressure on gasoline prices at home. But they could also deliver a financial windfall to two countries at the center of U.S. national security concerns.

Criticism has come from across the political spectrum.