President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday formally designated three Middle Eastern branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organisations, a move that fulfils a long-standing pledge and could have significant diplomatic and legal implications for the United States and its allies, particularly Qatar and Turkiye.

The decision was jointly announced by the US Treasury Department and the State Department, targeting the Muslim Brotherhood’s branches in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. US officials said the groups pose a threat to American interests and have been involved in or supported violent and destabilising activities in the region.

Among the three, the Lebanese branch received the most severe classification. The State Department designated it as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), a label that makes it a criminal offence under US law to knowingly provide material support, funding or assistance to the group. The Jordanian and Egyptian branches were designated by the Treasury Department as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) for allegedly providing support to Hamas.

“These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters’ violence and destabilisation 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.”

Background to the decision

The action follows an executive order signed by President Trump last year, which directed the Treasury and State departments to assess and impose sanctions on specific Muslim Brotherhood chapters deemed to be involved in violence or extremism. Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were mandated under that order to determine the most appropriate legal framework for the designations.

According to US officials, intelligence assessments indicated that a wing of the Lebanese chapter had launched rockets into Israel following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. The executive order also alleged that leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan had provided support to Hamas, a group already designated as a terrorist organisation by the US.

The Egyptian branch, while largely suppressed domestically, was accused of maintaining networks and providing indirect support to militant activities, according to the Treasury Department.

The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, has long been one of the most influential Islamist movements in the Middle East. However, it has also been highly controversial, with several countries accusing it of extremism and political subversion. The group was banned in Egypt in 2013 following the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi, who was affiliated with the Brotherhood. Jordan announced a sweeping ban on the organisation in April this year.

Brotherhood denies violence

Leaders and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood have consistently denied involvement in terrorism, maintaining that the organisation is a political and social movement that has renounced violence. In response to earlier threats of designation, Brotherhood representatives have argued that US actions conflate political Islam with terrorism and unfairly target dissenting movements in the Arab world.

Despite these denials, successive US administrations have faced pressure from allies and domestic political groups to take a tougher stance against the organisation. During his first term in 2019, Trump publicly weighed the possibility of designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation, but ultimately stopped short of a blanket designation.

Impact on US alliances

Analysts say the latest move will be welcomed by some US allies, particularly in the Gulf and the Arab world. Nathan Brown, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, said countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, which view the Brotherhood as a direct threat, would likely be pleased with the decision.

“For other governments where the Brotherhood is tolerated, it would be a thorn in bilateral relations,” Brown said, specifically pointing to Qatar and Turkiye, where individuals and groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood have been allowed to operate politically or socially.

Qatar and Turkiye have both denied supporting terrorism, though they have previously resisted efforts to label the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation in international forums.

Immigration and legal implications

Beyond foreign policy, the designations could have wide-ranging consequences for immigration and asylum cases. Brown noted that the move may affect how US and Western immigration authorities treat individuals suspected of links to the Muslim Brotherhood.

“I think this would give immigration officials a stronger basis for suspicion, and it might make courts less likely to question any kind of official action against Brotherhood members who are seeking to stay in this country or seeking political asylum,” he said. Similar effects could be felt in Western Europe and Canada, where US designations often influence policy decisions.

Within the United States, the FTO and SDGT labels also enable authorities to freeze assets, restrict financial transactions and prosecute individuals found to be providing support to the designated groups.

Domestic political context

Trump’s move comes amid renewed pressure from conservative lawmakers and right-wing activists to confront Islamist groups more aggressively. Prominent Trump supporters, including right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, have repeatedly urged the administration to act against the Muslim Brotherhood, portraying it as a global extremist network.

At the state level, Republican-led governments in Florida and Texas designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation earlier this year, signalling growing momentum within the Republican Party to push for tougher measures.

Conclusion

By designating three Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organisations, the Trump administration has taken one of its most decisive steps yet against the group. While the move aligns with the priorities of some US allies and domestic supporters, it also risks straining relations with countries where the Brotherhood retains political space and could complicate immigration and asylum cases.

As the administration signals that this is part of a broader, sustained effort, further designations or sanctions could follow, keeping the Muslim Brotherhood and US counterterrorism policy firmly in the global spotlight.