US labels Egyptian, Lebanese and Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorists

The United States has designated the Egyptian, Lebanese and Jordanian branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as “terrorist organisations,” citing their alleged support for the Hamas militant group.

The move, first initiated by Washington in November last year, is set to impose sweeping financial and travel sanctions on one of the Arab world’s oldest and most influential Islamist movements.

The US Treasury Department on Tuesday formally added the three branches to its list of specially designated global terrorists. Officials accused the groups of supporting or encouraging violent attacks against Israel and American allies in the region.

“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 Treasury Department said in a statement.

As a result, any assets held by the designated branches within the United States will be blocked, and transactions involving the groups or their affiliates will be criminalised. The designation also imposes significant restrictions on members’ ability to travel to the United States.

Egypt’s foreign ministry welcomed the move, calling it a “crucial step that reflects the gravity of the group and its extremist ideology and what it represents as a direct threat to regional and international security and stability.”

Founded in Egypt in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood once expanded its influence across the Arab world. Its political rise included the 2012 election of Mohamed Morsi in Egypt following the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak.

Morsi was removed from office in 2013 by a coup led by then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has since overseen a wide-ranging crackdown on the organisation.

In recent years, the Brotherhood has faced sustained suppression by several Arab governments, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, which have sought to curb its ideological influence advocating for a unified Islamic caliphate.

US officials said the designation reflects alleged coordination between the Brotherhood branches and regional militant groups. The Egyptian and Jordanian branches were said to have collaborated with Hamas, particularly following the 7 October 2023, attack on Israel that triggered a large-scale Israeli military response in Gaza.

In Lebanon, the Brotherhood’s Sunni movement reportedly allied with Hezbollah in launching rockets into Israel, with the Lebanese branch pushing for closer alignment with the Hezbollah-Hamas axis.

In Jordan, the Brotherhood had significant political influence as the main opposition party before being banned in April last year amid accusations of weapons stockpiling and plotting to destabilise the kingdom.

The designation also comes amid ongoing political debate in the United States, where some conservative lawmakers have accused the Brotherhood of attempting to infiltrate government channels, though these claims are widely regarded as unfounded. Republican legislators have repeatedly called for a formal ban, arguing it would prevent potential funding or influence from reaching US soil.

With IANS inputs