Muslim Brotherhood influence declines across the Middle East

The influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliated political movements is declining across the Middle East following years of crackdowns by various regimes. The health of Rachid Ghannouchi, the 85-year-old founder of the Tunisian party Ennahda, has become a focal point for the group's struggles after he reportedly lost consciousness in his prison cell due to extreme heat.

While the group appeared to be a primary beneficiary of the Arab Spring in 2010 and 2011, holding significant power in Egypt and Tunisia, many of its leaders have since been imprisoned or forced into exile. The movement has faced intensified pressure from the United States, which recently designated its Egyptian and Jordanian branches as ‘global terrorists’ for allegedly aiding Hamas, and labeled the Lebanese branch a ‘foreign terrorist’ organization. Under a new American counterterrorism strategy, the Muslim Brotherhood has been categorized alongside Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State as a source of modern jihadism. Additionally, Jordan implemented a total ban on the group in April 2025.