The phone call held last Saturday between Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Masad Boulos, a senior adviser to the US president, went beyond routine holiday greetings, turning into what sources in Washington familiar with the matter described to Assahifa English as a “very difficult” exchange.
According to the sources, Boulos conveyed in a firm tone the US administration’s concern over the growing influence of key figures in Congress, led by Senators Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton, who are intensifying efforts to push for the designation of the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization, a separatist movement backed by Algeria in the Western Sahara dispute.
These legislative efforts, most notably the “Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act of 2026”, are part of a broader strategic approach Washington is adopting to dismantle groups seen as linked to Tehran. This direction was underscored weeks ago when the US administration designated the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, in line with its national security priorities.
The sources added that Boulos outlined what he described as a new US policy direction, which views the Polisario Front as one of the channels through which Iran seeks to expand its influence in North Africa.
This assessment places Algeria in an increasingly delicate position amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, particularly as Washington intensifies efforts to curb networks linked to Tehran’s regional agenda. It also reflects what sources describe as growing frustration within the US administration over what it sees as Algerian “procrastination” in negotiations over Western Sahara, including two rounds of talks held in Madrid and Washington that were intended to push all parties to accept Morocco’s Autonomy Plan.
These developments suggest that the Western Sahara file has entered a new phase within decision-making circles in Washington, where the conflict is no longer viewed solely through a regional lens but is increasingly framed as part of a broader US strategy to counter Iranian military and ideological influence.
In recent months, intelligence assessments and media reports have reinforced these concerns, including reports by The Washington Post on alleged Iranian drone supplies to the Polisario Front, and coverage by The Telegraph warning of the group’s potential transformation into a “Hezbollah of the Atlantic.”
A research paper published by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Hudson Institute also documents what it describes as the involvement of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in providing logistical and military support to the Polisario Front, an issue Washington increasingly views as a red line amid current regional tensions.
Morocco severed diplomatic relations with Iran on May 1, 2018. At that time, Rabat presented evidence that Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita described as “damning”, showing that members of the Lebanese Hezbollah were training Polisario elements in guerrilla warfare and tunnel digging, and supplying them with “SAM 9”, “SAM 11”, and “Strela” missiles under diplomatic cover from the Iranian embassy in Algiers.
The Moroccan side added that this Iranian support for the Polisario Front was under the supervision of the former cultural attaché at the Iranian embassy in Algeria, Amir Mousavi, a claim later highlighted by Newsweek when it published a lengthy article on “Iran’s grip in Africa”.
Sources told Assahifa English that the call between Boulos and Tebboune reflects mounting US pressure on Algeria at a critical juncture, as Washington seeks clearer alignment on its regional strategy. They said the exchange underscored what could become a decisive moment for Algiers: either engaging more constructively in efforts to reach a political solution to the Western Sahara issue, or facing increasing diplomatic and strategic consequences.
Should the proposed legislation pass, the US Secretary of State, in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence, would be required to submit a report to Congress within 90 days assessing whether the Polisario Front meets the criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization, including potential links to Hezbollah or Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
If such a designation is confirmed, it would trigger sanctions including asset freezes, travel bans, and legal restrictions on engagement with the group. This would place Algeria in a very difficult international position. The Algerian regime would also find itself directly confronting international sanctions and counterterrorism laws, transforming its support for the Front from a political matter into an international legal and security dilemma.
It appears that Masad Boulos’s call was intended to shorten distances and place Algeria before a decisive choice: either a constructive partnership in resolving the conflict or bearing the legal and political consequences of international isolation.
