U.S. to Designate Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as Terror Group, Citing IRGC Training
The State Department has declared the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood (SMB) a Global Terrorist organization and says it intends to formally list the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization effective March 16, 2026, escalating U.S. action against Muslim Brotherhood chapters tied to violent conflicts. In a statement, the department alleged the SMB has supplied upwards of 20,000 fighters to Sudan’s civil war, many trained and supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and accused the group and its armed wing, the al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade, of mass executions and summary killings of civilians based on race, ethnicity, or perceived affiliations. The move follows November sanctions on Muslim Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, and comes with a warning that Washington will use "all available tools" to choke off IRGC-backed terrorist activity. Outside expert Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former U.K. ambassador to Yemen now at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox the SMB has deep links and a "strong component" inside Sudan’s regular army and historical ties to Osama bin Laden, calling this the first concrete sign that Trump’s November executive order against the Brotherhood network was only the beginning of a broader campaign. The designation will trigger U.S. financial and material-support bans, potentially complicating Sudan’s war dynamics and further tightening pressure on Iran’s regional proxy web, even as analysts warn that labeling national Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorists can blur lines between political and armed activity and may face legal and diplomatic challenges.
📌 Key Facts
- The U.S. State Department declared the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood a Designated Global Terrorist and said it intends to list it as a Foreign Terrorist Organization effective March 16, 2026.
- The department alleges the SMB has contributed upwards of 20,000 fighters to Sudan’s civil war, many trained and supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
- The SMB, composed of the Sudanese Islamic Movement and armed wing al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade, is accused of mass executions and summary killings of civilians based on race, ethnicity or perceived affiliations.
📊 Relevant Data
Since the Sudan civil war began in April 2023, over 12 million people have been displaced, including approximately 9.5 million internally displaced within Sudan and more than 2 million refugees fleeing to neighboring countries.
Sudan Crisis Situation Analysis: Period: 22/12/25 — ReliefWeb
Between ten thousand and fifteen thousand people were killed in 2023 due to ethnic violence in Sudan's West Darfur region, with reports of mass atrocities including ethnic cleansing campaigns against non-Arab communities.
The Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood has historical links to terrorism, including associations with Osama bin Laden during his time in Sudan in the 1990s, and has been involved in providing shelter and training for terrorist activities.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Role in Sudan's Civil War — The National Interest
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has provided training and support to fighters aligned with the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood, contributing to the escalation of violence in Sudan's civil war.
Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood Designated Terrorist — Mirage News
US terrorist designations on groups like the Muslim Brotherhood restrict their access to financial resources, prohibit material support from US persons, and enable asset freezes, impacting their operational capabilities globally.
What Does it Mean to Designate the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization? — Brennan Center
The Sudan civil war has driven migration primarily due to violence, acute food insecurity affecting 25.6 million people, and destruction of infrastructure, leading to over 4 million people fleeing to neighboring countries like Chad and South Sudan.
Sudan Crisis Explained — USA for UNHCR
In Sudan's civil war, atrocities including ethnic cleansing have disproportionately affected non-Arab ethnic groups such as the Massalit, with reports of mass killings and forced displacements in West Darfur constituting crimes against humanity.
Sudan: Ethnic Cleansing in West Darfur — Human Rights Watch
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