White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement late Thursday saying that President Donald Trump had signed a law that will isolate Hizbollah (Hezbollah) from the international banking system.
Full Text of Secretary Sanders Statement on the Hizballah Isolation Law
Today, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act (HIFPAA) of 2018, which imposes additional hard-hitting sanctions on Hizballah, a radical Islamist terrorist organization and close partner and proxy of the Iranian regime. Hizballah has kidnapped, tortured, and murdered American citizens, including in its brutal attack in 1983 on our Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, which killed 241 American Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers, wounded 128 other American service members, and killed a Lebanese civilian. Another bombing against the French barracks killed 58 French peacekeepers and five Lebanese civilians.
This evening, President Trump commemorated the 35th anniversary of the attack in Beirut on the Marine Barracks with survivors and family members of the victims. The United States will never forget the precious lives lost that day, and will continue to honor their memory by taking action against their murderers. Under President Trumps leadership, the United States has imposed historic sanctions on Hizballah and its chief ally: the corrupt Iranian regime. This past year, we levied more sanctions on Hizballah than we have imposed on the organization in any other year. Additionally, on November 5th, all United States nuclear-related sanctions against Iran, lifted under the horrible, one-sided Iran nuclear deal, will be reimposed in full force.
The legislation that President Trump signed into law today will further isolate Hizballah from the international financial system and reduce its funding. These sanctions will target foreign persons and government agencies that knowingly assist or support Hizballah, and Hizballah-affiliated networks that engage in drug trafficking or other transnational crime. We thank Senators Crapo, Brown, Rubio, and Shaheen and Representatives Royce and Engel for working with the Administration on this important legislation to counter Irans Hizballah proxy.
