Rubio: We are working to designate the "Muslim Brotherhood" as a terrorist organization

SadaNews - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview that the United States is working to classify the "Muslim Brotherhood" as a terrorist organization.

Rubio added in an interview with the Sid and Friends in the Morning program that his country is "in the process" of classifying the "Muslim Brotherhood" as a terrorist organization, noting that it is "under preparation."

He continued, saying that the classification process is "long and complex, but work is underway."

He pointed out that "there are clearly different branches of the Muslim Brotherhood, so each branch must be identified."

He explained, saying, "We are continuously reviewing groups to classify them for what they truly are: supporters of terrorists, possibly terrorists themselves, whatever the case may be. We haven’t done this for a long time, so we have a lot to catch up on."

According to Rubio, the process "involves a thorough review of each branch of the group individually, with documentation of evidence to ensure that the decision withstands legal challenges."

Rubio considered that the "Muslim Brotherhood" raises "serious concerns."

Last month, Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz introduced legislation to Congress to designate the "Muslim Brotherhood" as a terrorist organization.

Cruz considered that the "Muslim Brotherhood" is a "terrorist organization" and "provides support to its terrorist branches like Hamas."

According to Cruz, the Brotherhood "poses a serious threat to U.S. national security interests."

The "Washington Free Beacon" reported that Cruz's bill is titled "The 2025 Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act" and adopts what Cruz's team called a "modern strategy" focused on targeting the group's branches rather than concentrating on its undefined global structure.

According to a document distributed by Cruz's office to Senate members, the bill grants the State Department new authorities to classify branches associated with the Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, and requires the department to prepare a comprehensive list of these entities within 90 days of the law's enactment.

The proposed legislation includes three pathways to classify the "Muslim Brotherhood" as a terrorist organization: a measure by Congress under the 1987 Anti-Terrorism Act, followed by an official designation by the State Department as a foreign terrorist organization, and then listing the group on the global terrorism list.

Under these classifications, American citizens will be prohibited from conducting any financial transactions or providing services to the group, and its assets will be frozen.