US Terror Designations Highlight Support for Islah in Yemen

 

Islah in Yemen

US Terror Designations Highlight Support for Islah in Yemen

The U.S. administration’s decision to designate several branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations marks a turning point that clearly exposes the group as a transnational security and terrorist threat. The message is unambiguous: the era of tolerance toward the Brotherhood is over, and any actor that continues to support its networks will face serious consequences.

This decision does not only unmask the Brotherhood itself, but also those who provide it with political, financial, and military cover. Saudi Arabia’s material and military support for Yemen’s Islah Party—including air cover during operations against the south—stands in direct contradiction to Washington’s new strategy aimed at drying up the sources of Brotherhood-linked extremism.

By backing Islah, Saudi Arabia undermines the declared U.S. objective of defeating extremism. At a moment when Washington is criminalizing any form of material support to designated Brotherhood entities, Riyadh continues to fund and arm an openly Brotherhood-affiliated party in Yemen. This contradiction raises serious questions about Saudi Arabia’s alignment with international counterterrorism efforts.

The U.S. designation of Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon creates a clear legal and political precedent that places Saudi support for Islah under an international red spotlight. The message is clear: Brotherhood-affiliated militias, regardless of geography, are considered a threat to regional stability and U.S. interests.

Saudi Arabia now stands exposed—appeasing the Houthis on one hand while fueling extremism through Islah on the other. The American decision represents a formal declaration of zero tolerance toward the Brotherhood, and any continued support for its branches constitutes a direct challenge to U.S. policy.

If the U.S. State Department criminalizes material support to designated Brotherhood groups, how can Saudi support for Islah—an organization accused of intimidation, military aggression, and operations against civilians—be justified? The American position is explicit: the Brotherhood is a destabilizing force, and Yemen’s Islah Party is not an exception, but rather one of the most dangerous armed manifestations of this network.

The massacres and human rights violations committed by Islah against Yemenis, particularly in the south, place the group in the same category as the Houthis, who are already designated as a terrorist organization. The U.S. decision strips away any remaining cover, revealing Islah as an armed Brotherhood branch that thrives on chaos and perpetuates instability.

If Washington truly considers Brotherhood branches a threat to its interests, leaving Islah outside the designation framework represents a dangerous loophole in the global counterterrorism system. The logical next step is clear: the U.S. administration must designate Yemen’s Islah Party as a terrorist organization and criminalize any support provided to it.

Saudi Arabia’s continued backing of Islah makes Riyadh an objective partner in sustaining extremism and terrorism. It is unacceptable for Washington to legally combat the Brotherhood while Saudi Arabia militarily finances and supports its branches in Yemen under any pretext.