US Major Crackdown: Designates Muslim Brotherhood in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan as ‘terrorist’ over alleged funding, providing material to Hamas

The United States has designated  Muslim Brotherhood in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan as ‘terrorists’, as a part of what it described as an initial step under an executive order issued by President Donald Trump for blacklisting these groups.

On X, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, wrote, ‘The Treasury Department is taking action pursuant to President Trump’s leadership by designating Muslim Brotherhood Branches as Terrorist Organizations.’

‘The Muslim Brotherhood has a longstanding record of perpetrating acts of terror, and we are working aggressively to cut them off from the financial system.  This Administration will deploy the full scope of its authorities to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat terrorist networks wherever they operate in order to keep Americans safe,’ he added.

Designations against Muslim brotherhood of Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian

Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood led by leader Muhammad Fawzu Taqgosh, has been designated as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the Department of State.

While both Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood has been designated as SDGTs by the Department of the Treasury, "for providing material support to Hamas."

Why is this decision taken?

This major crackdown has been carried out citing national security concerns and these groups’ alleged support for Palestinian group Hamas. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement, said the action was taken "as a first step in support of President Trump's commitment to eliminate the capabilities and operations of Muslim Brotherhood chapters that pose a threat to the United States as described in Executive Order 14362."

Rubio said the measures mark the opening phase of a broader campaign by the administration. "These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters' violence and destabilization wherever it occurs," he said.

The Secretary of state said the U.S. government would continue to apply pressure on the designated groups through sanctions and other tools. "The United States will use all available tools to deprive these Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism," Rubio said.

Reactions from Muslim Brotherhood 

Muslim Brotherhood was formed in 1928 by Egyptian Muslim scholar Hassan al-Banna, and has branches in middle east.  The Muslim Brotherhood has rejected the designation and alleges foreign pressure (Israel) on US to take this decision. It also denied any allegations of funding or providing material to terrorism, as per reports.