US President Donald Trump has begun a formal process to classify selected Muslim Brotherhood chapters as foreign terrorist organisations and specially designated global terrorists. The move marks a significant shift in US policy toward one of the Arab world’s oldest and most influential political and religious movements. The action could trigger wide-ranging sanctions and increase geopolitical tensions across the Middle East.
Executive Order Targets Multiple Muslim Brotherhood Branches
Trump signed an executive order directing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to prepare a detailed report on whether specific Muslim Brotherhood chapters should be designated. The report will focus on chapters operating in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, and other countries where the group maintains strong influence.
Once the report is submitted, the secretaries must act within 45 days to move forward with any recommended designations.
US officials claim certain Brotherhood factions have encouraged or supported attacks against Israel and US partners in the region. Washington also accuses some chapters of providing material support to Hamas, a group already listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States.
The White House fact sheet stated that Trump aims to confront what it described as a “transnational network” responsible for fuelling terrorism and destabilising US interests across the Middle East.
Republican Support and Longstanding Calls for a Terror Label
Republican leaders and conservative figures have repeatedly pushed for the Muslim Brotherhood to receive a terrorist designation. Trump attempted a similar effort during his first term, and according to Rubio, the administration renewed these efforts early in Trump’s second term.
In a parallel development, Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently imposed the same terrorist designation on the Muslim Brotherhood at the state level, adding momentum to the national discussion.
Founded in Egypt in the 1920s, the Muslim Brotherhood began as a religious and political movement aimed at countering secular and nationalist ideologies. Over the decades, it expanded across the Muslim world, becoming a powerful but often controversial organisation. Many chapters operate openly in some countries, while others function more discreetly due to political pressure or legal restrictions.
