فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Amid the ongoing escalation between Iran and Israel, informed sources have revealed that the Algerian high command, led by General Said Chengriha, has issued urgent orders to withdraw all Iranian-supplied weapons and military equipment from the Polisario Front militias stationed in the Tindouf camps.
According to Sahel Intelligence and Algerian military sources, this move aims to sever the Polisario Front’s ties with the Iranian axis and prevent its designation as a terrorist organization on the international stage. This comes in light of multiple international reports confirming direct Iranian military support to the Polisario, including suicide drones and advanced Arash missiles.
The Algerian action coincides with increasing Western pressure on Tehran due to its regional military activities and extensive militia networks. Algeria appears to be adopting a pragmatic approach to minimize potential diplomatic fallout, especially as US and European calls to classify the Polisario as a terrorist group intensify.
Western reports indicate that the military cooperation between Iran and the Polisario strengthened after the diplomatic break between Morocco and Iran in 2018. Morocco accused Hezbollah—the armed wing of Tehran—of training and arming Polisario elements via Algerian territory, with backing from the Iranian embassy in Algeria. This cooperation later expanded to include paramilitary training programs and drone technology transfers as part of Iran’s strategy to extend its influence across North and West Africa.
As part of implementing the withdrawal decision, the Algerian leadership ordered the redeployment of Iranian operatives stationed in secret military bases inside Algeria to more vulnerable areas such as Mali, Niger, and the Libyan border to avoid international exposure.
This “soft” Algerian disengagement from military cooperation with Iran and the Polisario comes amid mounting international pressure on Algeria, which fears that its association with this axis could lead to diplomatic isolation, harming its regional and international interests.
Additional reports revealed that the Polisario received Russian-made SAM-9 and Strela surface-to-air missiles through Iran, further heightening international concerns about Tehran’s growing military support.
In light of these developments, Algeria seeks to maintain diplomatic maneuverability and avoid being held responsible for supporting arms networks accused of backing terrorism, especially amid rising regional tensions and Western scrutiny of Iran and its proxies.
Notably, this Algerian move occurs at a time of complex security and political shifts in the region, with warnings about the potential designation of the Polisario as a terrorist organization—a change that could significantly alter the balance of power in the Western Sahara conflict.
