Washington post : Iran train Algeria based Polisario fighters in Syria

A report over the weekend by the Washington Post outlined Iran’s role both in Syria, and the wider Maghreb. The U.S. media outlet, citing regional and European officials, explained that "over the years, Iran has fostered a wide array of proxy groups to advance its interests. Iran, for instance, trained fighters from the Algeria-based Polisario Front, a militant group fighting for the independence of the Western Sahara from Morocco.”  

The Washington Post highlighted the role that the Assad regime had played during the 13-year civil war as a gateway for Hezbollah in both drugs manufacturing and as a transfer point for weapons and manpower.

The Post also confirmed recent reports that “hundreds (of the trained fighters from the Algeria-based Polisario Front) were now detained by Syria’s new security forces.” Syria’s new government has planned to put on trial pro-Assad Algerian soldiers and Polisario Front fighters captured in Aleppo, despite Algeria’s calls for their release.

Reports over the last few years have also revealed that Iran has been using its Lebanese proxy militia Hezbollah to provide military training and support to Polisario guerrillas based at the Tindouf refugee camp in Algeria. This support for Polisario goes back several years to 2017 and has long concerned Rabat. In May 2018, Morocco broke off diplomatic relations with Iran for the third time over its support for the front.

Then in 2023, new intelligence emerged, further linking Iran, Algeria and Polisario and more revelations of how Algeria had optimized little used airstrips for drone operations. These airstrips are in remote areas of Algeria close to the border with Morocco. News reports, at the time, also revealed the tracking of shipments by air, of military hardware from Iran to unspecified countries in north Africa. These shipments, which were delivered to Polisario fighters via Algeria, included drones, radar equipment and ballistic missile systems.

Last week Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi was in Algiers for an official visit, where he met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and extended an official invitation for Tebboune to visit Tehran.