US President Donald Trump has ordered officials to examine the possibility of designating some chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist groups, a move that would apply economic and travel sanctions to the group.
His executive order Monday requires his top advisers to produce a report investigating whether branches in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan should be included on the list of foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists.
The order cites the groups’ alleged ties to Hamas and “destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, U.S. citizens, and U.S. interests.”
The Muslim Brotherhood, founded almost 100 years ago, is banned in Jordan and Egypt.
The executive order directs US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to consult with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and produce a report within 30 days.
It then gives US officials 45 days to impose sanctions if they are determined to be justified.
The designation, which Trump could order at any time, would make it illegal to provide support to the group. It would also lead to economic sanctions and a ban on its members entering the United States.
“President Trump takes on the Muslim Brotherhood’s transnational network, which fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against US interests and allies in the Middle East,” the White House said in a statement.
Last week, the governor of Texas declared the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization and a transnational criminal organization.
The Texas order also assigns the same status to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest advocacy group for Muslims in the United States, and prevents both groups from purchasing land in the state.
The Brotherhood was founded in Egypt almost 100 years ago and has local branches throughout the world. Each chapter varies in ideology and one of its objectives is to create a state governed by Islamic law or Sharia.
Trump considered designating the group as a terrorist organization during his first term after meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi. It is banned in Egypt and several Arab countries, whose governments see it as a threat.
In April, Jordan banned the group after arresting members on suspicion of planning rocket and drone attacks.
