Trump administration designates three Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations

The Trump administration on Tuesday designated the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, imposing sanctions on each in a move Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the opening of a “sustained effort” to counter the group’s activities across the Middle East.

The Treasury and State departments announced the joint action against the three chapters, which U.S. officials said pose a risk to the United States and American interests. The Lebanese branch received the most severe label — a foreign terrorist organization designation — making it a federal criminal offense to provide the group with material support.

The designations mark the most aggressive U.S. action against the Muslim Brotherhood in decades and carry potential consequences for bilateral relationships with Turkey and Qatar, where Brotherhood affiliates operate, and may affect visa and asylum proceedings for group members in Western countries, analysts said.

The designations

The State Department designated the Lebanese branch — known as al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, or the Islamic Group — as a foreign terrorist organization. The Treasury Department separately listed the Jordanian and Egyptian branches as specially designated global terrorists, citing their financial support to Hamas.

“These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters’ violence and destabilization wherever it occurs,” Rubio said in a statement. “The United States will use all available tools to deprive these Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post on X that the Muslim Brotherhood “has a longstanding record of perpetrating acts of terror, and we are working aggressively to cut them off from the financial system.” He added that the administration would “deploy the full scope of its authorities to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat terrorist networks wherever they operate in order to keep Americans safe.”

Basis for the action

Trump signed an executive order last year directing Rubio and Bessent to determine the most appropriate sanctions framework for the group. The order cited a wing of the Lebanese branch that launched rockets at Israel following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack and stated that Jordanian Brotherhood leaders had provided support to Hamas.

Brotherhood responses

The affected branches rejected the designations. The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood said it “categorically rejects this designation and will pursue all legal avenues to challenge this decision which harms millions of Muslims worldwide,” denying any involvement in or support for terrorism.

The Lebanese branch said it is “a licensed Lebanese political and social entity that operates openly and within the bounds of the law” and that the U.S. decision “has no legal effect within Lebanon.” Muslim Brotherhood leaders broadly have said the organization renounces violence.

Egypt’s government, by contrast, welcomed the action. “This is a significant step that reflects the extremist ideology of this group and the direct threat it represents for regional and international security and stability,” Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said.

Regional and immigration implications

The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in 1928 and was banned there in 2013. Jordan announced a sweeping ban on the group in April.

Nathan Brown, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, said the designations would likely please other U.S. allies, including the United Arab Emirates, but could complicate relations with Qatar and Turkey, where Brotherhood affiliates have operated. Qatar’s government has denied any relationship with the group; Turkey’s ruling party has past associations with Brotherhood members.

Brown said the designations could affect immigration proceedings on both sides of the Atlantic. “I think this would give immigration officials a stronger basis for suspicion, and it might make courts less likely to question any kind of official action against Brotherhood members who are seeking to stay in this country, seeking political asylum,” he said. He added that the effects might extend to Western European countries and Canada.

Background

Trump weighed a similar designation during his first term in 2019 but did not act. Prominent Trump allies, including right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, had pressed the administration to take aggressive action against the group. Florida and Texas each designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization before the federal action.