US Designates Muslim Brotherhood Branches as Terrorist Organizations
In a significant move, the State Department and the Treasury Department announced on Tuesday that branches of the Muslim Brotherhood located in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon will be classified as foreign terrorist organizations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that Mohammad Fawzi Takkosh, who leads the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood, will also be labeled a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
Rubio stated, “These designations represent the start of an ongoing initiative by Muslim Brotherhood affiliates to tackle violence and instability wherever it arises.”
He further emphasized, “The United States plans to utilize all available methods to cut off these branches of the Muslim Brotherhood from resources that they might use for terrorism.”
The Treasury Department has similarly designated the Egyptian and Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood as SDGTs, noting their support for and collaboration with Hamas.
Officials pointed out that the Muslim Brotherhood’s branch in Egypt, established in 1928, has long coordinated and financially supported Palestinian terrorist groups, receiving funding from Hamas to further efforts aimed at destabilizing the Egyptian government.
In Jordan, members of the Muslim Brotherhood have allegedly provided substantial support to Hamas and have been “involved in terrorist incidents,” despite the organization’s judicial disbandment in 2020 and its recent ban in April of this year.
John K. Hurley, the Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, remarked, “Even with their seemingly peaceful operations, both the Egyptian and Jordanian branches actively support Hamas terrorism and conspire against their own governments’ sovereignty.”
This designation takes place following President Trump’s executive order from November, aimed at diminishing the capabilities and activities of Muslim Brotherhood chapters labeled as foreign terrorist organizations, ensuring that they are deprived of any resources that could threaten U.S. national security.
Details shared revealed troubling circumstances; for instance, after the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, the military wing of the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood collaborated with Hamas and other groups to launch numerous rocket attacks targeting both civilian and military sites in Israel. Additionally, on that same date, leaders from the Egyptian branch urged violent actions against U.S. interests, while Jordanian leaders had long been known to support Hamas materially.
A report from the Institute for the Study of Global Anti-Semitism Policy (ISGAP) suggested that the Brotherhood is pursuing a prolonged strategy to influence Western society from within, notably by establishing their presence on U.S. university campuses.
As part of the measures following Trump’s directive, Secretary Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard are now required to submit a report by December 24, 2025, on the potential designation of the affiliated offices in the three countries as terrorist entities.
Economic sanctions will be applied to all property and interests in the U.S. owned by the affiliates and other organizations significantly tied to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Previously, states like Florida and Texas had already classified the group as a foreign terrorist organization.
Attempts to get comments from the Brotherhood’s communications department went unanswered.
