US moves to cripple Islamist networks that fuel Hamas and anti-Israel extremism across the Arab world.
President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Monday, initiating the formal process to designate multiple Muslim Brotherhood chapters—including those tied to Hamas activities—as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).
The order mandates the State Department and Treasury Department to produce a full classification assessment within 45 days, identifying which branches of the Brotherhood meet the legal threshold for designation. Once finalized, these designations would impose crippling sanctions, asset freezes, funding blocks, and sweeping restrictions aimed at dismantling the Islamist group’s global financial and operational networks.
The White House cited damning intelligence:
- After Hamas’ October 7, 2023 massacre, the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood’s military wing helped terror groups fire rockets into Israel.
- A senior Egyptian Brotherhood figure called for violent attacks on U.S. allies the same day Hamas butchered Israeli civilians.
- Jordanian Brotherhood leadership has allegedly provided material support to Hamas for years.
Trump’s executive order follows Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s state-level designation of the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR—the latter long accused of acting as a Brotherhood front—as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations. Abbott’s order bans both groups from acquiring land in Texas and enables aggressive law-enforcement action against affiliates.
Senator Ted Cruz has previously pushed legislation to federally designate the Muslim Brotherhood—a move now revitalized by Trump’s executive action and poised to severely weaken the global Islamist movement.
Several countries—Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—already classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, citing decades of incitement, radicalization, and violent action.
Trump’s initiative signals a major strategic shift:
The United States is moving to dismantle the ideological and financial infrastructure that empowers Hamas, Hezbollah sympathizers, and extremist Arab networks undermining both American and Israeli security.
