The Trump administration has designated the Lebanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and listed the Jordanian and Egyptian chapters as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, citing ties to Hamas and risks to U.S. interests. Officials say the moves follow an executive order directing targeted sanctions; experts warn the designations could strain ties with countries like Qatar and Turkey and affect visa and asylum decisions in the U.S. and allied nations.
U.S. Designates Three Muslim Brotherhood Chapters As Terrorist Organizations, Citing Links To Hamas
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters while in flight on Air Force One to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has moved to designate three Middle Eastern chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist entities, announcing sanctions that could complicate relations with U.S. partners such as Qatar and Turkey.
The Departments of State and Treasury said Tuesday they were taking action against the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian branches of the Muslim Brotherhood, asserting those chapters pose a threat to U.S. interests.
What Was Announced
The State Department placed the Lebanese chapter on the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations — the most severe U.S. label, which makes it a crime to knowingly provide material support to the group. The Treasury Department designated the Jordanian and Egyptian chapters as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, citing allegations that those branches provided support to Hamas.
“These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters’ violence and destabilization wherever it occurs,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “The United States will use all available tools to deprive these Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism.”
Officials said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent worked with the State Department under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump to determine the appropriate sanctions. The order specifically named the chapters in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt and pointed to a wing of the Lebanese chapter that allegedly launched rockets into Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, which helped trigger the wider Gaza war. The order also accused leaders in Jordan of providing support to Hamas.
Reactions, Legal Effects And Broader Impact
Leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood have publicly denied endorsing violence.
Nathan Brown, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, said some U.S. allies — including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt — would likely welcome the designations. “For other governments where the Brotherhood is tolerated, it would be a thorn in bilateral relations,” he said, noting Qatar and Turkey as examples.
Brown also warned the listings could influence visa and asylum decisions not only in the United States but also across Western Europe and Canada, giving immigration officials greater grounds for suspicion and potentially making courts less likely to overturn actions against Brotherhood members seeking asylum.
President Trump had considered designating the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization during his first term in 2019. This year, two Republican-led U.S. states — Florida and Texas — also designated the group as a terrorist organization.
Background
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in 1928 and was banned there in 2013. Jordan announced a sweeping ban on the organization in April of this year.
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