US designates “Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood” as terrorist organization

The United States has designated the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) and announced plans to formally classify the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) starting March 16, 2026, accusing it of carrying out mass violence against civilians during Sudan’s ongoing war.

The US Department of State said the designation targets a network it says has played a destabilizing role in the conflict while advancing a violent Islamist agenda. “The Department of State is designating the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and intends to designate the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization,” the department said. The State Department accused the group of targeting civilians and obstructing international efforts to end the war.

“The Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood uses unrestrained violence against civilians to undermine efforts to resolve the conflict in Sudan and advance its violent Islamist ideology,” the statement said, adding that “its fighters, many receiving training and other support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have conducted mass executions of civilians.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move reflects Washington’s commitment to countering militant groups and their backers. “The Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood, trained and supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has been designated by the Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist for mass executions of civilians,” Rubio said. “We will continue to use all available tools to deprive the Iranian regime and Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources they need to engage in or support terrorism.”

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee welcomed the decision and urged further action against other armed groups in Sudan. “This is a vital step to curb the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence in the region, especially as hardline Islamists seek to reassert themselves,” the chairman said in post on X. “Now, we must also seriously consider the same FTO designation for the genocidal Rapid Support Forces and their terror campaign in Sudan.”

Massad Boulos, U.S. Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs, also said the designation reflects broader US efforts to counter terrorism and pressure actors in the Sudan conflict to move toward a humanitarian truce.

“In designating the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist, the United States continues using all available tools to counter terrorism, counteract the malign influence of Iran, and hold accountable those who have perpetrated crimes against civilians in Sudan,” Boulos said. He added that civilians in Sudan have endured enormous suffering during the conflict and called for urgent humanitarian action.

“The Sudanese people have suffered immensely as a result of the ongoing conflict, including from actions of malign actors and from the atrocities committed by both sides in the Sudanese conflict,” he said. “It’s time for the parties to immediately accept the humanitarian truce to enable lifesaving aid to reach civilians and create space for dialogue.”

The designation will freeze any assets linked to the group under US jurisdiction and prohibit Americans from providing support to it, while potentially exposing foreign individuals or entities dealing with the organization to sanctions.

Recently, Washington has adopted a tougher line toward the Muslim Brotherhood, choosing to designate specific national branches and affiliated organizations. This approach reflects the decentralized nature of the Brotherhood, which operates less as a unified global organization and more as a broad ideological network. Various chapters function independently in different countries, and some participate legally in politics and social work, complicating efforts to treat the movement as a single entity. The Trump administration began imposing designations on particular Brotherhood-linked groups.

Some regional experts say the move also reflects broader geopolitical lobbying around the Sudan conflict. Critics believe the designation was unlikely to occur without sustained diplomatic pressure from the United Arab Emirates, which has long pushed Washington and its partners to take stronger action against Muslim Brotherhood–affiliated movements across the region. Abu Dhabi has welcomed Washington’s decision, describing it as a “pivotal measure.”

The UAE has also faced accusations in multiple credible reports of supporting Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a charge Emirati official have denied. At the same time, Abu Dhabi has consistently portrayed the Muslim Brotherhood as a major destabilizing force in the Middle East, urging governments to treat the movement and its affiliates as extremist organizations. However, some experts noted that this is part of the UAE’s regional strategic interests.

The designation of the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood also appears to be part of a broader effort in Washington to expand pressure on Muslim Brotherhood–linked networks globally. However, the move could also complicate dynamics within Sudan’s war, potentially dealing a significant political blow to the Sudanese Armed Forces, which has relied on alliances with Islamist factions as it continues its fight against the RSF.