The United States’ campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood appears to be entering a new phase, expanding beyond the group’s branches and affiliates in the Middle East to focus increasingly on its financial and institutional networks in Europe, particularly in Britain.
Recent US sanctions against Mahmoud El Ebiary, described in the report as the secretary-general of the Muslim Brotherhood’s international organisation, are being portrayed as part of a wider strategy aimed at disrupting the structures that allow Brotherhood-linked networks to operate across several European countries.
On July 24, 2026, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on El Ebiary alongside three other individuals and three entities, accusing the network of channelling substantial funds to Hamas.
The measures reportedly targeted a company in Indonesia, a charity operating in the Gaza Strip and a Turkey-based commercial company.
According to the US allegations cited in the report, El Ebiary, an Austrian citizen living in London, supported fundraising campaigns for organisations previously designated by Washington over alleged links to Hamas, including the Palestine Waqf and Hayat Yolu.
The significance of the move lies in Washington’s decision to target a senior figure allegedly coordinating activities from British territory and connected to financial networks operating across several countries.
This places London more prominently at the centre of the issue, after years in which US scrutiny of the Muslim Brotherhood focused largely on its activities in the Middle East.
The report claims that the US administration intends to raise the matter politically with the British government once its security team has completed a review, while giving London time to examine the sanctions and consider possible action under British law.
An unnamed US source was quoted as saying that Britain’s response would be viewed as an important indication of the future level of cooperation between London and Washington in addressing Brotherhood-linked networks in Europe.
According to the same source, Washington does not regard the latest sanctions as an isolated measure, but as the beginning of a broader campaign targeting senior figures and organisations that allegedly enable the movement’s networks to operate across national borders.
The United States is reportedly considering further action against individuals and entities in other European countries, with each case expected to be discussed separately with the government concerned and assessed according to its domestic legal framework.
The developments could place additional pressure on the British government to reassess its political and security monitoring of Brotherhood-linked organisations operating in the United Kingdom.
A British journalist cited by the report argued that the principal challenge was not the movement’s public activities, but its alleged use of charities, research centres and rights organisations to increase its political influence.
The journalist said the use of multiple legal names and separate organisational structures made it difficult for authorities to establish direct links between different entities.
US coordination could eventually extend beyond Britain, with Washington reportedly viewing Brotherhood-linked networks in Europe as an interconnected system of intermediaries and front organisations rather than as unrelated national groups.
Political discussions with London and other European capitals could therefore seek to elevate the issue within wider counter-extremism talks and encourage a more coordinated Western approach, while leaving individual governments to determine what measures are permitted under their own laws.
The sanctions also carry practical financial consequences. US authorities can scrutinise transactions involving the dollar or American financial institutions, while banks, companies and individuals outside the United States may face heightened compliance risks if they deal with sanctioned individuals or organisations.
The targeting of El Ebiary is therefore being presented as the opening step in a new US approach to Muslim Brotherhood-linked networks in Europe—one focused on dismantling financial and institutional structures rather than pursuing individuals alone.
Britain, where several figures associated with the organisation are reported to reside, may serve as the starting point for this campaign. However, the pressure could expand to other European capitals as Washington seeks greater Western coordination in confronting what it describes as the Brotherhood’s cross-border networks.
