U.S. Congress Unveils Bill to Designate Polisario Front as Terrorist OrganizationWashington

, D.C., July 12, 2025 — A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced legislation seeking to formally designate the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization, citing its alleged ties to Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia, and its role in destabilizing North Africa.
The proposed bill, titled the Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act (H.R. 4119), was submitted by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson and Democratic Congressman Jimmy Panetta. It outlines a detailed case against the Algeria-based separatist group, which has long sought independence for Western Sahara from Moroccan sovereignty.
According to the bill’s findings, the Polisario Front has maintained ideological and operational ties with Iran since the 1980s, including documented interactions with Hezbollah operatives in Algeria’s Tindouf camps. The legislation also references recent intelligence reports and media investigations indicating that Iran has provided the group with armed drones and advanced munitions, raising concerns about its growing military capabilities.
“The Polisario is a Marxist militia backed by Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia,” Wilson stated, “providing Iran a strategic outpost in Africa and destabilizing the Kingdom of Morocco, a U.S. ally for 248 years”.
The bill mandates the U.S. Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury to assess whether the Polisario Front meets the criteria for designation under existing counterterrorism laws, including the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. If enacted, the designation would trigger sanctions, asset freezes, and travel restrictions on the group’s members and affiliates.
A waiver clause allows the President to suspend the designation if the Polisario engages in good faith negotiations to implement Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, originally submitted to the UN Security Council in 2007.
The move has sparked international debate, with some European officials and former defense leaders echoing calls for terrorist designation, while others caution against politicizing the Western Sahara dispute. The bill is currently under review by the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees.
As tensions rise in the Maghreb and Sahel regions, the legislation marks a significant shift in U.S. policy toward separatist movements and their foreign backers — with potential ripple effects across diplomatic and security landscapes.