Washington, November 25,2025:US President Donald Trump on Monday issued an executive order directing federal agencies to begin a formal process to designate specific chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan-ul-Muslimin or Ikhwa-ul-Muslimoon) as terrorist organisations, marking a significant policy shift in Washington’s approach to the decades-old movement.
The Muslim Brotherhood is already banned as a terrorist organisation in several countries, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Jordan also outlawed the group earlier this year.
Signed at the White House on November 24, the executive order names Brotherhood chapters in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt as the initial focus of the evaluation. It “sets in motion a process by which certain chapters or other subdivisions of the Muslim Brotherhood shall be considered for designation” as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under US counterterrorism laws.
The order describes the Brotherhood as having evolved into a “transnational network” since its founding in Egypt in 1928, asserting that some of its branches “engage in or facilitate violence and destabilisation campaigns” that threaten regional stability, American citizens, and US interests.
It highlights activities attributed to the group’s Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt chapters.
Regarding Lebanon, the order cites the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel — which triggered Israel’s prolonged military campaign in Gaza — and alleges that the Lebanese chapter’s military wing “joined Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian factions” in launching rockets at civilian and military targets.
The document also claims that a senior leader of the Egyptian chapter “called for violent attacks against US partners and interests,” while asserting that leaders of the Jordanian chapter “have long provided material support to the militant wing of Hamas.”
“It is the policy of the United States to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate the capabilities and operations of such chapters,” the order states, directing agencies to work to “deprive those chapters of resources” and neutralise threats to US national security.
The executive order sets a strict timeline for action. Within 30 days, the secretaries of State and Treasury must jointly submit a report assessing which Brotherhood chapters should be designated. Within 45 days after that, the relevant department must take “all appropriate action” to complete the designations under the Immigration and Nationality Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Founded in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood has long been the subject of debate in US policy circles. While several chapters have participated in political processes and elections, others have been accused by regional governments of supporting militant groups.
Previous US administrations resisted designating the organisation due to its diverse branches and concerns that such a move could trigger broader regional instability.
Trump’s order sets the most detailed mechanism yet for evaluating individual national chapters, rather than treating the Brotherhood as a single entity.
The move follows a decision last week by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, also a Republican, who designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation at the state level.
