The US just slammed the Muslim Brotherhood with a terrifying designation, making it illegal to even talk to them

The Trump government just dropped some seriously heavy designations on three specific chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood, declaring them terrorist organizations. This move, announced by the State and Treasury departments, targets the groups operating in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt, and it immediately makes providing any kind of support to them a major legal issue.

You can expect this decision to put some stress on Washington’s relationships with countries like Turkey and Qatar, given the regional politics involved. The Trump administration asserts that these specific branches pose significant risks to U.S. interests and stability in the Middle East, per Fox.

The designations weren’t uniform, which is important to note. The Lebanese branch received the most severe label, being designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization. That means it’s straight-up illegal to provide material support to the group. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department labeled the Jordanian and Egyptian chapters as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. This designation was handed down because the U.S. claims both groups have been providing support to Hamas. The Lebanese chapter received this special Treasury designation as well.

Trump just made terrorists of another organization

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this action is just the opening volley in a much larger campaign. “These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters’ violence and destabilization wherever it occurs,” he stated in an announcement. He made it clear that the United States is going to use every tool available to cut off resources for these chapters so they can’t engage in or support terrorism.

The administration has been building up to this for a while. Last November, President Trump issued an executive order calling for “certain chapters or other subdivisions of the Muslim Brotherhood” to be considered for these high-level designations. That executive order spells out exactly why the U.S. is taking this path, citing the groups’ involvement in violence and destabilization campaigns that harm U.S. citizens and interests in the region.

The timing of the order and the subsequent designations are heavily influenced by the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. The executive order details specific actions taken by the groups around that time. For instance, the military wing of the Lebanese chapter reportedly joined Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Palestinian factions to launch multiple rocket attacks against both civilian and military targets within Israel.

The charges against the other chapters are just as serious. The executive order states that the Egyptian chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood “called for violent attacks” against U.S. partners and interests on October 7, 2023. Furthermore, the order claims that leaders of the Jordanian chapter have provided material support to the militant wing of Hamas for a long time.

This designation is especially complex when you look at Jordan. This action comes only months after Amman announced a sweeping ban on the organization itself. While the Jordanian monarchy had banned the Muslim Brotherhood about ten years ago, it had tolerated the Islamic Action Front, which is a linked political party. That political party actually won several seats in the 2024 parliamentary elections, making this U.S. designation a tricky situation politically for the region.