Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 10, 2019 PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP IS PROTECTING THE NATION BY MODERNIZING AND EXPANDING SANCTIONS TO COMBAT TERRORISM   “We must deny the terrorists safe haven, transit, funding, and any form of support for their vile and sinister ideology.” – President Donald J. Trump   MODERNIZING SANCTIONS: President Donald J. Trump is taking steps to expand and enhance the ability of the United States to sanction terrorists and those who finance them worldwide. Today, President Trump announced an Executive Order that modernizes our counterterrorism sanctions to better combat terrorists, their finances, and their facilitators. This order significantly improves our ability to sanction supporters of terrorism and deprive them of financial, material, and logistical support. The Departments of State and the Treasury are now able to more swiftly target leaders or officials of terrorist groups and their proxies. Additionally, the Treasury can now sanction correspondent or payable-through accounts of foreign financial institutions who knowingly provide support to terrorists. This is the most significant expansion of our counterterrorism sanctions authorities since the aftermath of 9/11. Alongside the Order, the Trump Administration announced sanctions on 28 terrorist leaders, financiers, and affiliated companies associated with multiple terrorist organizations. COMBATING TERROR WORLDWIDE: The Trump Administration is bolstering our capabilities and efforts to defend against and combat terrorism worldwide.  The Administration has aggressively used counterterrorism sanctions authorities to disrupt terrorist finances by targeting more than 400 individuals and entities worldwide. Since 2017, the Trump Administration sanctioned more than 40 Hizballah and 50 al-Qa’ida and ISIS affiliated individuals and entities. One-hundred percent of ISIS-held territory in Syria and Iraq has been freed from the terror group’s malevolent rule. The Administration has taken the fight to al-Qa’ida, aggressively targeting the group’s leadership and countering their vile activities around the globe. President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran is greatly reducing the radical regime’s access to funds it uses to spread terror and incite destruction. New sanctions have significantly curtailed funding to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, its Qods Force, and its proxies including Hizballah and HAMAS. PROTECTING THE HOMELAND: The Trump Administration is committed to ensuring that America is secure and its citizens always remain safe from the threat of global terrorism. This latest Executive Order is another example of President Trump’s unwavering commitment to protect the United States from terror. Last October, President Trump released a new National Strategy for Counterterrorism, the first robust and fully articulated strategy on counterterrorism since 2011. At President Trump’s urging, North Atlantic Treaty Organization members agreed to strengthen the alliance’s counterterrorism authorities and capabilities. After years of neglect, President Trump is strengthening our Nation’s defenses by rebuilding our military and strengthening our defensive capabilities. The President is securing our borders to defend against terrorists who seek to enter our country and threaten our communities.