In a major geopolitical development, US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a sweeping executive order to initiate the formal process of labeling several chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organisations. The directive specifically names branches operating in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan.
According to the order, these chapters “engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilisation campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests.”
The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna, grew into a vast pan-Islamist movement spanning much of the Arab world. Al-Banna believed that reintroducing Islamic principles into society would strengthen the Muslim world’s standing against Western influence and colonial rule. Over the decades, the group evolved into a complex political and social force, winning supporters and critics alike across the Middle East.
With Washington moving toward an official terror designation, the United States gains the power to freeze any assets tied to the targeted chapters and deny entry to their members. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have now been tasked with completing the classification process.
Many countries in the region have long taken hard stances against the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt and Saudi Arabia already list the group as a terrorist organisation. Jordan followed suit earlier this year, accusing the Brotherhood of manufacturing weapons and plotting to undermine national stability. Despite its ban and previous dissolution orders, the organisation has maintained a strong grassroots following in Jordan.
In Egypt, the group has been outlawed since 2013, following the removal of President Mohamed Morsi—its most prominent political figure—in a military takeover led by then–army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Since assuming power, Sisi has strengthened his government’s alliance with the United States.
International reactions to Trump’s decision were immediate. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon publicly welcomed the announcement, saying it represented a significant step for Israel and Arab nations affected by decades of Muslim Brotherhood–linked unrest.
Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron instructed his government to develop measures to curb the organisation’s growing influence in France, signalling that global concern over the Brotherhood’s reach continues to rise.
