The United States has officially designated Muslim Brotherhood organisations operating in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan as “terrorist” groups, marking a major escalation in Washington’s actions against groups it considers rivals of Israel across the world.

The decision was announced on Tuesday, weeks after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing his administration to begin the process of blacklisting these organisations. Following this directive, the US Department of the Treasury and the State Department took coordinated steps against different branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East.

According to the announcement, the US Treasury designated the Muslim Brotherhood groups in Egypt and Jordan as “specially designated global terrorists”. At the same time, the US State Department placed the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood organisation on its list of “foreign terrorist organisations” (FTO), a designation that carries more severe legal consequences.

The Trump administration justified the move by citing what it described as the Muslim Brotherhood’s alleged support for the Palestinian group Hamas and its “activities against Israeli interests in the Middle East”.

In a statement explaining the decision, the US Treasury said, “Chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood purport to be legitimate civic organisations while, behind the scenes, they explicitly and enthusiastically support terrorist groups like Hamas.”

The decision was immediately rejected by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Salah Abdel Haq, the acting general guide of the group, said it “categorically rejects this designation and will pursue all legal avenues to challenge this decision, which harms millions of Muslims worldwide”.

Abdel Haq further claimed that the move was politically motivated rather than based on evidence. Speaking to Al Jazeera in a statement on Tuesday, he said, “We deny all allegations that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood has directed, funded, provided material support for or engaged in terrorism.” He added, “This designation is unsupported by credible evidence and reflects external foreign pressure by the UAE and Israel rather than an objective assessment of US interests or facts on the ground.”

Under US law, the designations make it illegal for individuals or organisations to provide any material support to the targeted groups. They also impose economic sanctions aimed at cutting off their sources of funding. In addition, the FTO designation placed on the Lebanese group includes a ban on its members from entering the United States.

The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 by Egyptian Muslim scholar Hassan al-Banna. Over the decades, it has developed branches and affiliated organisations across the Middle East, including political parties and social movements. The group and its affiliates have consistently stated that they support peaceful political participation and civic engagement.

In Lebanon, the Muslim Brotherhood operates under the name al-Jamaa al-Islamiya. This organisation has a presence in Lebanese politics and is represented in the country’s parliament.

In Jordan, the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm, the Islamic Action Front, achieved significant electoral success by winning 31 seats in the House of Representatives during the 2024 elections. Despite this, the Jordanian government banned the organisation last year, accusing it of having links to what authorities described as a sabotage plot.

In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood briefly came to power through democratic means. The group won the country’s only democratically held presidential election in 2012. However, President Mohamed Morsi was removed from office in a military coup just one year later. He later died in prison in 2019. Since 2013, the Egyptian government has outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood and carried out a widespread crackdown on its leaders and members, forcing many into exile or underground activity.

Following the US announcement, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the designation of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood as a global terrorist organisation. In a statement released on Tuesday, the ministry described the move as a “pivotal step”. It said that Washington’s decision “reflects the danger of this group and its extremist ideology and the direct threat it poses to regional and international security and stability”.

Muslim Brotherhood-inspired organisations across the Middle East have been outspoken critics of Israel’s war in Gaza, which many have described as genocidal. In Lebanon, al-Jamaa al-Islamiya supported Hezbollah in what was referred to as a “support front” in solidarity with Gaza against Israel. This confrontation later escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024.

Responding to the US designation, al-Jamaa al-Islamiya stressed that it is a legally recognised Lebanese political and social movement. In a statement issued on Thursday, the group said it has been operating openly and legally for decades.

“This move is a political and administrative American decision, not based on any Lebanese or international judicial ruling, and has no legal effect within Lebanon, where the sole authority remains the Lebanese Constitution, the applicable laws, and the Lebanese state institutions,” the statement said.

The group further argued that the US action benefits Israel. It stated that the designation “serves the interests of the Israeli occupation, which continues its aggressions against our country and people”.

The effects of the US decision have also been felt domestically. In the United States and other Western countries, right-wing activists have for years accused Muslim immigrant communities and critics of Israel of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood. Several of Trump’s allies in Congress have long pushed for the group to be designated as a terrorist organisation.

After Trump issued the order targeting the Muslim Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, Republican governors in Texas and Florida moved to take action at the state level. Both states designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent Muslim civil rights organisation, along with the Muslim Brotherhood, as “terrorist” groups.

CAIR has denied any links to the Muslim Brotherhood and has filed lawsuits challenging these designations.