Former White House Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt has warned that the Iran‑backed strategy of empowering non‑state armed groups is expanding into North Africa through alleged ties with the Polisario Front.
In an opinion piece published by Semafor, Greenblatt argues that while global attention remains fixed on crises in the Middle East, “another Iranian proxy is quietly extending its influence elsewhere.”
He likens the Polisario’s trajectory to that of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, groups that, he says, began as small political movements but evolved into heavily armed organizations serving Tehran’s regional ambitions.
Greenblatt writes that Iran has long pursued a doctrine of cultivating armed non‑state actors far from its borders by providing “ideological guidance, training, money and weapons.”
Such groups eventually “destabilize governments, threaten regional security and advance Iran’s goals without requiring Tehran to engage directly.”
Iran recognized the self‑proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1980 and that ties with the Polisario have “deepened” since, he said.
Morocco has cut ties with Tehran in 2018 due to Iran and Hezbollah’s involvement in arming and training Polisario militias.
Greenblatt frames the issue within the strategic partnership between the United States and Morocco, which he describes as one of Washington’s oldest and most reliable regional alliances. In 2020, the Trump administration recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
He argues that US policy toward the Polisario- still classified by Washington as a “separatist armed movement” rather than a terrorist organization- should be reassessed. A lack of formal designation, he warns, “does not eliminate the strategic risk.”
Drawing parallels to Hezbollah’s rise in Lebanon and the Houthis’ expansion in Yemen, Greenblatt cautions that ignoring early warning signs has historically led to “devastating consequences.”
“The world overlooked Iran’s proxy strategy before,” he writes. “It must not repeat the same mistake.”
Bills have been introduced in the Congress and the Senate to designate the Polisario as a terrorist group.
