Jordan has officially banned the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the country’s most prominent Islamist movements, following the arrest of several members accused of plotting rocket and drone attacks.
Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya made the announcement at a news conference on Wednesday, declaring that all Brotherhood offices would be closed, their assets seized, and any of the group’s activities deemed illegal going forward.
The move marks a significant escalation in the government’s long-standing tensions with the group. There has been no immediate response from the Brotherhood itself, although it has previously denied any involvement in the alleged attack plans.
It remains unclear how the ban will impact the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the Brotherhood’s political arm and the largest opposition group in Jordan’s parliament. Shortly after the announcement, police raided the IAF’s headquarters in the capital.
IAF Secretary General Wael Saqqa responded by distancing the party from the wider Brotherhood organization. “We are an independent political party,” he said, stressing that the IAF has “no relationship with any other organisational body.”
Saqqa added that the party operates within legal boundaries and remains committed to Jordan’s constitution and rule of law, despite the government’s actions.
Tensions between Jordanian authorities and the Brotherhood have simmered for years. In 2020, Jordan’s highest court ruled that the group was “dissolved” on the grounds that it had failed to rectify its legal registration. Despite this, the Brotherhood continued operating in various forms.
The IAF, for its part, has remained active in Jordanian politics. In the most recent parliamentary elections, held last year, the party won 31 out of 138 available seats — solidifying its status as a powerful opposition force.
The new ban raises questions about whether the IAF will now face further restrictions or even dissolution. While the government has not yet specified its next steps, analysts say the crackdown signals a hardening stance against any Islamist political influence in the country.
The latest development comes at a time of heightened regional tension, with Jordan increasingly concerned about security threats along its borders and potential internal unrest.
