US to designate Muslim Brotherhood as 'foreign terrorist organization'
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has ordered the process of designating branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan as "terrorist" organizations, AFP reported. The decision is based on the group's alleged support for Hamas, a Palestinian militant group. The US designation would trigger sanctions and allow Washington to take punitive measures such as freezing assets and denying entry to group members.
Executive order
Trump orders review of Brotherhood chapters
Trump's executive order specifically mentions chapters in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan. It states that "those chapters engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests." The process will be completed by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
Twitter Post
Official post by The White House on Trump's order
President Trump is securing America by confronting the Muslim Brotherhood’s transnational network, which fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against U.S. interests and allies in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/B2ipr0Hrci
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 25, 2025
Regional response
Israeli PM praises US decision
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the move. "The Muslim Brotherhood is an organisation that threatens stability throughout the Middle East and beyond," he said. In a post on X, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also praised the decision as important for Israel and neighboring Arab countries. The Muslim Brotherhood is already banned as a terrorist group in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Jordan also banned it in April this year.
Political landscape
Muslim Brotherhood's complex role in Middle Eastern politics
The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna, is the oldest political Islamist organization in the Arab world. Al-Banna believed reviving Islamic principles could help resist Western colonialism. The group's supreme leader in Egypt is Mohamed Badie, who is currently imprisoned. The Brotherhood has a complex role in Middle Eastern politics, with some branches participating in electoral politics while others are banned or suppressed by local governments.