AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order initiating a process to label several branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign threats, specifically citing chapters in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan. The decision advances Washington’s long-running push to restrict the group under existing US law, even as members of Congress promote similar measures.
Under Executive Order 13224, the president can direct the Departments of Treasury, State, and Justice to impose sanctions, freeze assets, and enforce travel restrictions on organizations deemed hostile. Officials say this authority provides the legal foundation for the new designation effort.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in August that the designation was already “in the works.” He noted that each branch of the movement would need individual assessment, describing it as a complex review process undertaken by the State Department.
Middle East politics expert Nathan Brown previously told Middle East Eye that the Muslim Brotherhood poses “none at all” as a threat to US national security, highlighting divisions among American policymakers over the initiative.
Trump’s renewed push builds on efforts that began during his first administration. According to a New York Times report, he intensified support for the designation after meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in 2019. At the time, senior officials such as John Bolton and Mike Pompeo backed the move, while government lawyers and defense officials objected.
In parallel, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has designated the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as hostile foreign groups and transnational criminal organizations. The decision bars both groups from purchasing land in Texas and grants the state’s attorney general authority to pursue legal action.
Founded in Egypt in the 1920s, the Muslim Brotherhood grew in influence after the 2011 uprisings but faced sweeping repression following Mohamed Morsi’s 2013 removal. Despite bans in several Arab states, the movement retains regional influence through affiliated political parties, continuing to shape intra-Arab tensions and complicating US policymaking.
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