US Senator Ted Cruz has renewed calls for the Polisario Front to be designated a terrorist organization, arguing that the group is more than a separatist movement and should be viewed within the broader framework of Iran’s regional activities and influence.
Speaking to Moroccan television channel Medi 1 TV, the Republican senator said he had introduced legislation in the US Senate aimed at advancing the designation of the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization. Cruz argued that the group receives Iranian support and financing and functions as one of Tehran’s regional proxies, which he said are used to spread instability and expand Iranian influence beyond its borders.
The senator’s remarks come as support continues to grow within the US Congress for initiatives seeking to classify the Polisario Front as a terrorist entity, particularly following the decision of Democratic Congressman Mark Veasey of Texas to join lawmakers backing the proposal.
Veasey’s support is regarded as a notable development because of his position within the Democratic Party. Representing Texas in the House of Representatives since 2013, he is considered one of the party’s established lawmakers and his endorsement broadens the initiative’s bipartisan backing.
The debate over the Polisario’s status gained momentum earlier this year when Republican Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, and Rick Scott introduced legislation titled the “Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act of 2026.”
The proposed legislation would require the US Department of State to prepare a report examining potential links between the Polisario Front and Iran-backed groups, including possible military, intelligence, and logistical cooperation, as well as access to advanced weapons systems such as drones.
Under the bill, the findings of that review could pave the way for the Polisario’s designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization if evidence of cooperation with Iran-linked actors is established. Such a designation could trigger a range of sanctions and legal restrictions under US law.
In advocating for the measure, Cruz has argued that Iran is seeking to transform the Polisario into a force similar to the Houthis, using it as part of a broader strategy to project influence and challenge the interests of the United States and its allies.
Senator Tom Cotton has likewise supported the initiative, contending that the Polisario maintains ties with Iran and Hezbollah and that formal action by Washington is overdue. Rick Scott has also called for a thorough investigation into the nature of the group’s alleged connections with actors hostile to US interests.
The Senate proposal follows an earlier initiative introduced in the House of Representatives by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson and Democratic Congressman Jimmy Panetta. Their legislation called on the US administration to conduct a legal assessment of whether the Polisario meets the criteria required for designation as a foreign terrorist organization.
Supporters of the various congressional initiatives point to a series of reports and documents that they say indicate links between the Polisario, Iran, and Hezbollah, as well as allegations involving military training, drone capabilities, and cooperation with regional actors aligned with Tehran.
Among the materials cited by advocates of the designation are reports published by the French magazine Jeune Afrique, which alleged that Hezbollah-linked operatives provided military training to Polisario members in the Tindouf camps.
Backers of the initiative also refer to reports suggesting that Polisario fighters received training related to drone operations and acquired capabilities associated with Iranian military technology.
The growing number of lawmakers supporting the designation effort reflects an emerging trend within parts of the US political establishment to view the Western Sahara dispute through a broader security and geopolitical lens, particularly in relation to Iran’s activities in North Africa and the wider Sahel region.
