Legal Authority and Strategic Rationale: U.S. Sanctions on Muslim Brotherhood Chapters

 

The United States government’s designation of the Egyptian, Jordanian, and Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood chapters as terrorist entities reflects a policy grounded in U.S. law and national security assessment. These designations stem from Executive Order 14362 (Nov. 24, 2025), which required the Secretaries of State and Treasury to evaluate whether specific chapters warranted listing as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) or Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT).

Under established counterterrorism authorities like Executive Order 13224 and section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the U.S. Treasury’s OFAC and the State Department designated the Egyptian and Jordanian branches as SDGTs, and the Lebanese branch as both an FTO and SDGT. All three chapters are assessed to have provided material support to extremist networks such as Hamas, according to the Treasury’s official announcement.

These designations allow the U.S. government to block property and interests of the named organisations within U.S. jurisdiction, prohibit transactions with U.S. persons, and expose foreign financial institutions to secondary sanctions if they knowingly facilitate significant transactions on behalf of the designated groups. The sanctions are designed to disrupt financial and operational mechanisms, not to penalise civilians or religious communities.

Mainstream coverage confirms that while the Brotherhood’s official representatives have denied allegations and pledged legal challenges, many regional partners — including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — have publicly welcomed the U.S. designations as enhancing collective security efforts.

This approach reflects a legal, policy-based decision by U.S. institutions aimed at countering support networks associated with violence and destabilisation, reinforcing international security cooperation without targeting religion or civilian rights.