Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday welcomed a sweeping move by the administration of US President Donald Trump to formally designate several Muslim Brotherhood branches in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt as terrorist organisations, describing the decision as a decisive step in restricting extremist activity in the region.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the action underscores what it called Washington’s sustained and systematic drive to counter violence and destabilisation linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliated networks. The ministry said the UAE “strongly supports measures that prevent terrorist groups from gaining the resources, platforms or legitimacy that allow them to spread messages of extremism, hatred or unrest”.
The US decision comes under Executive Order 14362 and forms part of an expanded framework designed to suppress organisations accused of threatening American interests. As part of the rollout, the US Department of State has listed the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity. In a press release, the State Department also named the group’s leader, Muhammad Fawzi Taqqosh, as an SDGT.
Simultaneously, the US Treasury Department has designated the Egyptian and Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood branches as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, citing what it described as financial and material support to Hamas.
The ministry said the UAE views the designations as a central component of broader global efforts to curb extremist networks and strengthen collective security. It added that depriving such organisations of funding, recruitment capacity, and operational freedom is crucial in reducing their ability to influence or disrupt regional stability.
US officials characterised the action as the opening phase of what they called a sustained, long-term campaign. The administration says it intends to deploy all legal tools available to prevent identified Muslim Brotherhood entities from continuing to organise, support, or justify activity linked to terrorism.
The UAE reiterated that it remains committed to cooperating with international partners in addressing extremism and safeguarding regional and global peace.
