A research study by the 'Trends' Research and Consulting Center has confirmed that the US decision to classify branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as global terrorist organizations marks a qualitative shift in Washington's approach to the group. This shifts the handling of it from a logic of surveillance and containment to a logic of legal criminalization and institutional dismantling, which will have implications for the group's future regionally and internationally. The US State Department's announcement on January 13, 2026, imposing sanctions on the group's branches in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, includes a package of punitive measures. These measures include freezing assets, prohibiting dealings with entities and individuals linked to the group within the United States, and preventing entry to its members who do not hold US citizenship.
