Trump Orders Review to Label Muslim Brotherhood Branches as Terrorist Organizations
President Trump directs U.S. officials to review whether branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan should be designated as terrorist organizations to protect American citizens and regional allies
- Trump orders review to label certain Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist groups
- Lebanese, Egyptian, and Jordanian branches are under scrutiny for violence and destabilization
- Designation aims to cut off funding and neutralize threats to U.S. citizens and allies
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing his administration to assess whether specific branches of the Muslim Brotherhood should be formally designated as terrorist organizations, the White House announced.
The order instructs officials to examine Brotherhood-affiliated entities in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan to determine if they meet the criteria to be listed as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and added to U.S. global sanctions lists.
“The president is confronting the Muslim Brotherhood’s transnational network, which fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against U.S. interests and those of our allies in the Middle East,” the White House said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will lead the designation process, working alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. They are tasked with producing a detailed report on which branches should be considered for listing within 30 days. If the report finds sufficient grounds, the State or Treasury Department will have 45 days to take the necessary steps to implement the designations.
A White House fact sheet emphasized that the move aims to dismantle the operational capabilities of any designated branches, cut off their access to funding, and neutralize threats to U.S. citizens and national security.
In a separate statement on X, the White House said the U.S. “will not tolerate those who finance and support violent extremism,” noting that Trump has taken “decisive action to protect America from terrorist threats” through this initiative.
The executive order describes the Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, as a cross-border movement with branches throughout the Middle East. It singles out the Lebanese, Jordanian, and Egyptian branches for allegedly engaging in or supporting violence and destabilizing activities that threaten U.S. interests, citizens, and regional stability.
The document cites the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 as an example, alleging that the Brotherhood’s Lebanese “military wing” participated in rocket attacks alongside Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Palestinian factions. It also claims that Egyptian and Jordanian Brotherhood leaders have encouraged or materially supported attacks against U.S. partners and interests.
“These activities threaten the safety of U.S. citizens in the Levant and other parts of the Middle East, as well as the security and stability of our regional partners,” the order states.
U.S. policy, according to the executive order, will be to collaborate with regional partners to dismantle the operations and resources of any Brotherhood branches designated as terrorist organizations, eliminating any threats they pose to Americans or U.S. national security.
Under existing U.S. law, once a group is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, providing it with material support is prohibited, and membership or representation can be grounds for removal from the United States.
