AMMAN, Jordan—Jordan’s Ministry of Interior has formally declared the Muslim Brotherhood an illegal organization, ordering the immediate cessation of all its activities and authorizing the seizure of its assets. In a statement outlining the decision, authorities emphasized that all forms of engagement with the group—membership, promotion of its ideology, and cooperation in any legal or commercial capacity—are now prohibited, marking the most significant clampdown on the Brotherhood in the kingdom’s history.
The ministry cited judicial rulings confirming that the Brotherhood’s activities undermined public safety and disrupted social order. Effective immediately, any association or interaction with the organization is a prosecutable offense under Jordanian law. A government-appointed dissolution committee has been instructed to expedite the confiscation process of all assets affiliated with the Brotherhood, targeting offices, charities, and other fronts linked to the network.
Officials stressed that individuals or entities involved in supporting or facilitating the group’s activities, either directly or indirectly, are liable to legal action. The announcement detailed that offices and headquarters—whether operating independently or jointly with other partners—must close, and all channels promoting Brotherhood ideology or facilitating outreach will be subject to closure by law enforcement.
Regional and National Security Concerns
Jordan’s move comes at a time of heightened regional instability following the October 7, 2023 attack perpetrated by Hamas, the Brotherhood’s Gaza-based affiliate, against Israeli communities. This attack, the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust, galvanized renewed scrutiny of networks supporting terror and subversion across the region. The Brotherhood, originally founded in Egypt but present across the Middle East, has been increasingly recognized as part of the Iranian-led axis that threatens national and regional stability—including Iran’s support for terror factions like Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and various militias operating in Syria and Iraq.
For decades, Jordan allowed the Brotherhood to exist legally, albeit under close surveillance, citing efforts to balance between domestic pressures and external alliances. However, repeated evidence tying Brotherhood operatives to incitement, radicalization, and logistical support for external terror entities has fueled skepticism regarding its so-called charitable or political wings. Security services have disrupted multiple plots tied to Hamas facilitators or sympathizers within Jordanian territory, reinforcing the perception that the organization serves as both a recruiting ground and funding conduit for regional jihadist activity.
By acting decisively against the Brotherhood, Jordan joins a coalition of countries—including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—that have made similar moves to criminalize the organization, invoking the threat it poses not only to regional governments but to the peace agreements and security frameworks underpinning the modern Middle East. Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel, longstanding intelligence cooperation with Western agencies, and pivotal geopolitical position make the decision especially significant amid ongoing war and rising Iranian aggression.
Legal and Administrative Measures
The ministry’s instructions are unequivocal: all Brotherhood assets, regardless of their purported charitable or educational nature, will be confiscated. Any partnership or business arrangement, even those involving seemingly unrelated organizations, falls under the prohibition if connected to the Brotherhood. The broad legal language ensures that assets cannot be shifted, renamed, or hidden through shell organizations or affiliates—a tactic the Brotherhood has employed elsewhere in the region.
A specialized committee has been constituted to oversee the dissolution of Brotherhood operations, with a mandate to coordinate law enforcement and judicial processes. Authorities have warned of legal repercussions for anyone attempting to subvert the ban or perpetuate the group’s activities by alternative means.
Implications for Stability and Israel’s Security
Jordan’s action has major repercussions both domestically and internationally. For the kingdom, the move is designed to preempt unrest or radicalization at a time when Iranian-backed forces are waging a campaign against moderate Arab states and Israel. Jordan has experienced periodic unrest in the past when radical groups mobilized support amid periods of regional turbulence.
For Israel and its Western allies, the coordinated effort to dismantle Brotherhood influence in Jordan is seen as vital to containing threats generated by the Iranian-led alliance. Jordan’s cooperation with Israeli intelligence and security services, particularly along the frontier with the West Bank and against smuggling routes for weapons reaching terror factions, is integral to regional counter-terror strategy. The Brotherhood’s ideological kinship and operational cooperation with Hamas—responsible for the abduction, abuse, and murder of Israeli civilians and the ongoing hostage crisis—make its elimination from Jordanian society a matter of both local and international security.
International Reactions and Human Rights Considerations
While Jordan’s Western partners have historically taken nuanced positions regarding the Brotherhood’s political and civil society arms, many have grown increasingly concerned over the group’s use as cover for radicalization, incitement, and financial support of terrorism. Western intelligence reports have documented the Brotherhood’s role in facilitating Iranian objectives, providing ideological and logistical support for anti-Western and anti-Israel campaigns in multiple conflict zones.
Human rights observers have expressed unease over broad bans targeting Islamist associations, but Jordanian authorities maintain that national security and public order necessitate extraordinary measures against organizations with a proven record of fomenting instability. Officials also stress that the action is based on clear legal and judicial determinations implicating Brotherhood members in activities that threaten the law and safety of Jordan and its neighbors.
Looking Ahead
Jordan’s crackdown sets a precedent for further action against Islamist networks that threaten to inflame unrest or act as proxies for Iranian regional ambitions. Immediate next steps include the closure of all Brotherhood-linked institutions, legal proceedings against violators, and efforts to prevent the reconstitution of the group under different guises. Authorities have prepared for potential backlash or attempts at mobilization from Brotherhood supporters, but security sources emphasize readiness to enforce the prohibition with firm resolve.
The regional message is clear: terror collaborators, ideological facilitators, and Iranian-backed proxies will find no safe haven in Jordan. For Israel and the coalition of countries resisting Tehran’s campaign of terror, Amman’s decision is a reaffirmation that victory requires unity, determination, and unambiguous opposition to networks that threaten security and peace across the Middle East.
