THE LINKS BETWEEN HEZBOLLAH AND THE POLISARIO FRONT

Western Sahara, a disputed region between Morocco and the Polisario Front separatist movement, has been the scene of a growing presence by Iran, which has strengthened its ties with the group through Hezbollah. This dynamic has raised growing international concerns about regional stability and the implications for security in the Maghreb and the Sahel, in addition to the impacts it would have on the Mediterranean.

Since 2018, Rabat has pointed to the existence of communicating vessels between Hezbollah and the Polisario Front, particularly through funding and arms supplies, which led to a break in diplomatic relations between Morocco and Iran. In 2022, the Polisario Front announced that it would be receiving Iranian drones, and Moroccan authorities then presented evidence of this to the United Nations. More recently, in January 2025, the Polisario Front released a series of propaganda videos showing military training with drones. The Washington Post reported on April 12 that hundreds of Polisario Front militants had been arrested in Syria after fighting alongside Bashar al-Assad.

Algeria also plays a central role in this dynamic, being the Polisario Front's main sponsor. Since 1975, Algiers has financed, armed and hosted the group's leadership in refugee camps in Tindouf, near the border with Morocco, exacerbating tensions in the region. In addition to its involvement in the Syrian civil war, the Polisario Front has had senior members in the leadership of the Islamic State, such as Adnan Abu al-Walid al-Sahrawi.

While in 2022 Spain declared its support for Morocco's proposal for autonomy for Western Sahara, Portugal has yet to clarify its position as the 2030 World Cup, co-organized with Spain and Morocco, approaches.