WASHINGTON — The United States on Tuesday formally designated branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan as terrorist organizations, marking a major shift in Washington’s approach to the decades-old political and religious movement.
Read More: Florida bars state support for CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood
The decision fulfills longstanding demands from conservative circles in the United States as well as major Arab allies who view the Muslim Brotherhood as a destabilizing force in the region.
In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the designations would form part of a “sustained effort” to counter the organization’s activities across the Middle East. “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.
View this post on Instagram
Under the new designation, U.S. authorities will block assets tied to the movement in the country and criminalize financial or material transactions with listed branches. Members linked to these groups could also face significant travel restrictions.
Egypt welcomed the move, calling it a recognition of what Cairo described as the organization’s extremist ideology. President Donald Trump had previously signaled his intention to pursue the designation, aligning U.S. policy more closely with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — all of which have taken stringent actions against the group.
In recent years, the movement’s influence has declined. The Brotherhood briefly rose to power following Egypt’s 2012 election, which brought Mohamed Morsi to office, but was removed in a 2013 military coup led by now-President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
U.S. officials cited Hamas as a key factor behind the designation, pointing to coordination between Brotherhood branches and the Palestinian group, while also accusing the Lebanese branch of aligning with Hezbollah in attacks against Israel.
Read More: Florida Governor Labels Muslim Rights Group as Terrorist
The designation also carries domestic political implications, as several U.S. conservative lawmakers have long argued that Brotherhood activities pose ideological and security risks.