US sanctions London-based Muslim Brotherhood leader over alleged Hamas financing

The United States imposed sanctions Thursday on London-based Muslim Brotherhood leader Mahmoud al-Abyari and several other individuals and entities accused of financing Hamas, freezing their U.S.-linked assets as part of a broader effort to disrupt the terrorist group's financial networks.

The sanctions target what U.S. officials describe as a Muslim Brotherhood fundraising network that allegedly funneled money to Hamas through charities, businesses, and underground banking channels.

The move comes as the Trump administration expands pressure on the Muslim Brotherhood, which it has increasingly linked to terrorist financing.

"Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated a senior Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (EMB) official, along with three individuals and three entities that have provided material support to Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Two of the designated entities are sham charities tied to the Muslim Brotherhood that funneled substantial funding to Hamas's military wing, even as the terrorist organization continues to obstruct a peaceful resolution in Gaza," the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control said in a statement.

"The Trump Administration will relentlessly pursue terrorists and those who finance them," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pledged. "Whether operating under the guise of charities, businesses, or underground financial networks, those who enable Hamas will be exposed, sanctioned, and held accountable."

U.S. authorities accused al-Abyari of raising funds for Hamas through organizations including the Turkish charities Filistin Vakfi and Hayat Yolu.

In addition to freezing al-Abyari's financial assets, the United States barred the senior Muslim Brotherhood leader, who holds Egyptian and Austrian citizenship, from entering the country.

In August 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled that Washington intended to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

"We are constantly reviewing for groups to designate for what they are: supporters of terrorists, maybe terrorists themselves, whatever it may be. We haven't done this in a long time, so it's – we've got a lot of catch-up to do. And you've mentioned a couple names, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood, that are of grave concern," Rubio stated at the time.

In January, the United States designated Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Sudan as terrorist entities.

The Treasury Department said al-Abyari "acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood."

The Muslim Brotherhood is also outlawed in Jordan and Egypt, where it was founded in 1928. The United Kingdom, however, has not banned the organization, making the country a significant hub for Islamist extremists, according to critics.

Former British counter-extremism commissioner Robin Simcox welcomed the U.S. sanctions but argued that Britain should take similar action.

"We cannot just rely on Washington to take action regarding an issue that, first and foremost, is one in our own backyard," Simcox said in an interview with The Times.

"I consistently recommended to the government it must take a proactive approach to meeting the challenge the Brotherhood poses head-on. I hope that now happens," he added.

Hamas, founded in Gaza in 1987 by the late Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, is widely regarded as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.

U.S. officials assessed that Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood used "charitable facades and underground banking networks to move and disguise funds across jurisdictions."

The United States also sanctioned the Turkish-based El-Kahira for General Trading and three individuals affiliated with the company for allegedly raising funds for Hamas and other designated terrorist organizations.

"El-Kahira provided underground banking services, servicing both fiat and cryptocurrencies, to known Sweden-based organised crime groups like Foxtrot Network," the Treasury Department stated, describing the business as a "Hamas money exchange."

The Sweden-based Foxtrot Network has reportedly carried out attacks targeting Israelis and Jews across Europe on behalf of Iran's regime. The United States sanctioned the criminal network in March 2025 over its alleged ties to Tehran.