Amman, April 23, 2025: Jordan has declared the Muslim Brotherhood an illegal organization, ordering the closure of all its offices and the confiscation of its assets after uncovering links to a sabotage plot, Interior Minister Mazen Fraya announced on Wednesday.
Fraya revealed that security services arrested 16 Brotherhood members last week, accusing them of training and financing in Lebanon and planning rocket and drone attacks on targets inside the kingdom. Authorities also attributed a separate foiled plot in 2024 to a local Brotherhood cell.
There was no immediate comment from the movement, which has operated legally in Jordan for decades and enjoys substantial grassroots support through its political wing, the Islamic Action Front (IAF). The IAF, the largest opposition grouping in parliament following last September’s elections, has denied involvement in any militant schemes and insists it pursues its objectives peacefully.
Under the new decree, all publications by the Brotherhood are banned, and anyone promoting its ideology faces legal action. Security forces have already raided Brotherhood offices, seizing documents and equipment believed to be linked to illicit activities.
Supporters of the ban argue it is a necessary measure to protect national security from an organization outlawed in most Arab states. Critics within the Brotherhood counter that the movement renounced violence decades ago and seeks to advance its Islamist vision exclusively through lawful political engagement.
Political analyst Mohammed Khair Rawashdeh characterized the move as a “final divorce” between the state and the Brotherhood after years of alternating between co-optation and tolerance. He forecasts further steps to dismantle remaining organizational structures.
Jordan’s decision mirrors a broader regional crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood amid concerns over political Islam’s influence. As a key Western ally bordering multiple conflict zones, Jordan has prioritized internal stability in the face of ongoing regional turbulence
