The United States has labeled Muslim Brotherhood organizations in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan as “terrorist” groups. This announcement comes from President Donald Trump’s administration as it increases efforts to target groups that oppose Israel globally.
This decision was made on Tuesday, following an executive order from Trump issued weeks earlier to start the process of blacklisting these groups.
The US Department of the Treasury identified the organizations in Jordan and Egypt as “specially designated global terrorists.” Meanwhile, the State Department classified the Lebanese group as a “foreign terrorist organization” (FTO).
The Trump administration mentioned that these groups allegedly support Hamas and act against Israeli interests in the Middle East as reasons for the designations.
The US Treasury stated, “Chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood claim to be legitimate civic organizations, but they openly support terrorist groups like Hamas behind the scenes.”
On Tuesday, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the US decision to label the Egyptian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood as global “terrorists.” They called it a significant step. The ministry explained that the decision shows the risks this group poses and its extremist ideology, which threatens regional and international security.
They also said this move matches Egypt’s long-standing view of the group, which it considers a “terrorist” organization due to its violence and incitement.
These US designations make it illegal to provide support to these groups and impose economic sanctions to disrupt their funding. The FTO label also bans members of these groups from entering the US.
The Muslim Brotherhood
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 by Egyptian scholar Hassan al-Banna. It has branches across the Middle East, including political parties and social groups.
The group claims it is committed to peaceful political participation. In Lebanon, the Muslim Brotherhood chapter is called al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, and it has representatives in the Lebanese Parliament.
In Jordan, the group won 31 seats in the House of Representatives in the 2024 elections through its political arm, the Islamic Action Front. However, last year, the Jordanian government banned the group, accusing it of being involved in a sabotage plot.
In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood won the only democratically held presidential election in 2012. But after President Mohamed Morsi was overthrown in a military coup in 2013, he died in prison in 2019. Since then, Egypt has banned the Muslim Brotherhood and cracked down on its leaders and members, forcing the group underground and into exile.
Muslim Brotherhood organizations have criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, calling them genocide. Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya showed support for Hezbollah as part of a solidarity effort for Gaza, which led to a war in September 2024.
After a decree by Trump in November, Lebanese Parliament member Imad al-Hout stated that al-Jamaa al-Islamiya is a licensed political organization in Lebanon and has no foreign ties. He said that the assessment of any Lebanese political group should be based on Lebanese laws, not external viewpoints tied to American interests that support Israel and do not reflect the situation in Lebanon.
The Group Rejected Trump’s Order
The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood rejected Trump’s order to blacklist them, noting that previous US administrations did not take this step.
“The facts have not changed. What has changed is the foreign pressure on the United States, especially from the UAE and Israel, to adopt policies that serve outside interests instead of the American people,” the group stated in November.
“These outside interests contradict the ‘America First’ principle that President Trump often mentions and show the negative influence of foreign lobbying groups on U.S. national security decisions.”
Effects in the US
In the US and other Western countries, right-wing activists have tried to harm the reputation of Muslim immigrant communities and critics of Israel by linking them to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Some of Trump’s supporters in Congress have pushed for blacklisting the group for years.
After Trump’s order labeled the Muslim Brotherhood’s branches in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan as “terrorist” groups, the Republican governors of Texas and Florida acted against the leading Muslim civil rights group in the US.
Both states classified the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as “terrorist” groups.
CAIR, which denies any connection to the Muslim Brotherhood, has filed a lawsuit in response.
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