US President Donald Trump has initiated the process of designating certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists. This move, announced on Monday, aims to impose sanctions on one of the Arab world’s oldest and most influential Islamist movements. Trump signed an executive order directing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to submit a report within 45 days on whether to designate specific Muslim Brotherhood chapters in countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan. The Trump administration has accused these factions of supporting violent attacks against Israel and US allies, as well as providing material support to the Palestinian group Hamas. The White House stated that Trump is confronting the Muslim Brotherhood’s transnational network, which allegedly fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against US interests in the Middle East. This effort aligns with long-standing Republican advocacy for such designations. Notably, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, also a Republican, imposed a similar designation at the state level last week. The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in the 1920s as an Islamic political movement, has historically countered secular and nationalist ideas, spreading across Muslim countries and often operating in secret.
Trump begins process of labelling Muslim Brotherhood chapters as terrorist
