U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the State Department has begun the formal process of designating the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, a step that would bar the group from operating in the United States. Rubio confirmed the move during a State Department press conference and in a separate radio interview, adding that the administration is also preparing to prohibit the organization’s members from entering the country. Rubio explained that officials are compiling documentation to withstand expected court challenges and that any final order is likely to list several distinct branches of the nearly century-old Islamist movement. “All of that is in the works,” he said, emphasising that the department must justify each designation to avoid nationwide injunctions. The announcement marks a sharp policy shift after years of debate in Washington. Previous administrations weighed but ultimately deferred the designation amid concerns about diplomatic fallout with regional partners where Brotherhood-aligned parties participate in politics. Rubio’s remarks also referenced the Council on American-Islamic Relations, suggesting the group could come under additional scrutiny once the Brotherhood is formally listed.