AMMAN (Kaab TV) – The Jordanian government has formally banned the Muslim Brotherhood, escalating its crackdown on the Islamist group following allegations that several of its members were planning armed attacks inside the country.
Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya announced Wednesday the closure of all Brotherhood offices and the confiscation of its assets.
“All activities by the group will now be considered illegal,” he said.
The Muslim Brotherhood has not yet responded to the government’s accusations.
This move comes as part of a broader national security response after Jordan’s intelligence services arrested 16 individuals suspected of plotting attacks against key infrastructure and national institutions.
Authorities say the group possessed explosives, homemade rockets, drones, and automatic weapons, and had conducted training both inside Jordan and abroad—including in Lebanon.
A Jordanian court last week charged 12 of the suspects, believed to be linked to the Brotherhood, with terrorism-related crimes.
It is the first time in decades that a domestic group has faced accusations of plotting an attack of this magnitude.
Although the Muslim Brotherhood has for years been legally dissolved in Jordan—following a 2020 court ruling that found the group failed to correct its legal registration—the organization has continued to operate politically and socially, primarily through its political arm, the Islamic Action Front (IAF).
In last year’s elections, the IAF secured 31 of the 138 seats in parliament.
The latest measures significantly limit the group’s remaining influence in Jordan, as political tensions intensify in the region due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Analysts say the government is increasingly wary of internal dissent or mobilization that could be fueled by the conflict.
IAF Secretary-General Wael Saqqa has denied any organizational ties between the party and the banned Brotherhood network, stating that the IAF is “independent and operates lawfully.”
Still, Minister Faraya maintains that elements within the Brotherhood have been working covertly to undermine national stability.
“Their activities pose a serious threat to the country’s peace and security,” he said.
Founded in Egypt nearly a century ago, the Muslim Brotherhood has long promoted the establishment of Islamic rule based on Sharia law and has branches or affiliated movements across the Middle East.
Jordan’s latest crackdown marks one of the most aggressive moves yet against the group in the kingdom.