The US government designated three Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations on Tuesday, imposing sanctions that may strain ties with allies Qatar and Turkey.
The Treasury and State departments targeted the Lebanese, Jordanian, and Egyptian chapters, citing significant risks to American interests and global stability. Specifically, the State Department labeled the Lebanese branch as a foreign terrorist organization, which makes providing any material support a criminal offense. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department listed the Jordanian and Egyptian chapters as specially designated global terrorists for providing support to Hamas.
“These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters’ violence and destabilization,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated. He further emphasized that the United States will use every available tool to deprive these chapters of the resources for terrorism. Consequently, these actions follow an executive order that mandated Secretary Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to impose strict sanctions.
Regional Tensions and Political Fallout
While the Muslim Brotherhood claims to renounce violence, the White House noted that the Lebanese wing launched rockets at Israel. Furthermore, the administration highlighted that the group’s Jordanian leaders provided direct support to Hamas throughout the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The Muslim Brotherhood faced a ban in Egypt in 2013, while Jordan recently announced its own sweeping ban in April 2025.
“For other governments where the brotherhood is tolerated, it would be a thorn in bilateral relations,” said Professor Nathan Brown. He noted that while countries like the UAE will likely welcome the news, Qatar and Turkey may face diplomatic friction. Moreover, Brown suggested that these designations could impact visa and asylum claims for individuals entering Western Europe, Canada, and the United States.
Prominent Republican supporters have long pushed the administration to take aggressive action against the group following the 2019 policy debates. Interestingly, the state governments of Florida and Texas already designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization earlier this year. As a result, this federal move aligns the national security strategy with aggressive state-level policies targeting the organization’s global influence.
