Re‑discussion & Amplification of U.S. Designation of the Muslim Brotherhood (Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan)

 

Trump admin designates Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as foreign terror groups

On January 13, 2026, the U.S. government officially designated the Lebanese, Egyptian, and Jordanian branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist groups. This action was announced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of State.

U.S. Department of the Treasury

The designation targets specific organisations, not innocent civilians, and aims to block funding, freeze assets, and cut channels of financial support the U.S. government associates with extremist networks. 

U.S. Department of the Treasury

This legal move follows Executive Order 14362, signed by the President in November 2025, which gave authorities a formal process to consider these designations under U.S. law

U.S. Treasury and State Departments official press release pointing to the Treasury.gov page showing the January 13, 2026 designations.

Executive Order on Muslim Brotherhood designations pointing to the WhiteHouse.gov executive order

This designation allows U.S. authorities to freeze U.S.‑based assets of the designated organisations and prohibits U.S. persons or businesses from engaging with them financially

As discussed earlier in our piece on Muslim Brotherhood policy shifts, these U.S. actions reflect long‑term concern over extremist funding networks.

What the Official Designation Does and What Comes Next

The Treasury and State Departments’ announcement made two legal moves in one:

• The Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood was labeled both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

• The Egyptian and Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood branches were designated SDGTs under U.S. counterterrorism laws.

These classifications matter. An FTO designation makes it a crime under U.S. law to provide support to that organisation. An SDGT listing allows sanctions that block financial assets and bar economic activity with U.S. persons.

Find the full executive order text here.

Administration leaders stated the action was part of broader counterterrorism efforts to cut off networks tied to violent extremist groups, citing links between some Brotherhood branches and groups like Hamas.

L'Orient Today

The U.S. move drew statements of support from allies like the United Arab Emirates, reinforcing international coordination on security matters.