- By Shivangi Sharma
- Tue, 25 Nov 2025 06:41 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
US President Donald Trump on Monday directed his administration to consider designating several Middle Eastern branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organisations, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s approach to the region’s most influential Islamist movement. The executive order instructs officials to examine Brotherhood chapters in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and other countries, opening the door to sanctions, travel bans and asset freezes if they are formally labelled terrorist entities.
Under the order, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have been given 30 days to submit an assessment and an additional 45 days to take action based on their findings.
If approved, the designation would allow the US government to impose punitive measures, including freezing any US-linked assets and denying visas to individuals associated with the targeted branches.
The Muslim Brotherhood is already outlawed in several countries. Egypt, where the movement was founded, designated it a terrorist organisation in 2013 after the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates classify it as a terrorist group as well. Jordan banned its domestic chapter in April this year, accusing it of stockpiling weapons and plotting to destabilise the kingdom.
Why These Chapters Were Flagged
The review focuses on Brotherhood-linked actors in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, pointing to incidents that raised security concerns. The order highlights reports from Lebanon, where fighters aligned with Brotherhood-influenced groups allegedly joined clashes alongside Hezbollah. The confrontations, described as some of the most destructive in years, were cited as evidence of militant alignment.
Jordan’s Brotherhood branch was also singled out. The executive order claims that the chapter has “long provided material support to the militant wing of Hamas,” a group the US designated a terrorist organisation in 1997. Amman’s own ban earlier this year, following repeated allegations of weapons manufacturing, strengthened Washington’s call to scrutinise the group further.
What Is The Muslim Brotherhood?
The Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Sunni Islamist organisation founded in Egypt in 1928 by schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna. Initially created to resist British colonial influence and counter Westernisation, the Brotherhood began as a grassroots movement focused on building schools, charities, and religious networks.
Over time, it evolved into one of the Arab world’s most influential political and religious movements. Guided by the slogan “Islam is the solution,” the Brotherhood advocates governance based on Islamic law and the integration of religious principles into political life. Its ideology has inspired numerous Islamist organisations across the Middle East and beyond, including Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami.
The group has long been controversial. Brotherhood-linked members have faced accusations of plotting violence, and governments across the region have banned or restricted it over fears of political agitation.
The Brotherhood briefly gained unprecedented political power after the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, when its candidate Mohamed Morsi won the presidency in 2012. But following his ouster in 2013, Egypt again banned the organisation and initiated sweeping crackdowns.