The Washington Post has revealed new evidence of collusion between Iran and the Polisario Front. In a report focused on the security landscape in Syria following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad's regime, the American daily claims that Iran has worked to establish «a large network of proxy groups to defend its interests. Iran, for example, has trained fighters from the Polisario Front, a group based in Algeria». According to the report, «hundreds of Polisario members are currently detained by the new Syrian security forces», citing a regional official and a European diplomat. As a reminder, Yabiladi reported back in December the arrest by Syrian authorities of dozens of armed Polisario militants who had been fighting alongside the forces of the now-deposed regime. This presence was later confirmed by a confidential 2012 document referencing an agreement between the Assad regime, Algeria, and the Polisario. The document describes the deployment—facilitated with the active support of Lebanon's Hezbollah—of hundreds of Polisario fighters to Syria. In a letter dated April 17, 2023, addressed to Bashar Al-Assad on the occasion of a Syrian national holiday, Polisario leader Brahim Ghali described the Syrian opposition as «forces of evil and a brutal conspiracy» The detention of Polisario fighters and Algerian soldiers has reportedly pushed Algeria to reconsider its stance toward the new authorities in Damascus—whom it had previously labeled as «terrorists». Algiers tasked its Foreign Minister, Ahmed Attaf, with addressing the issue during a visit to the Syrian capital. However, the diplomatic initiative failed to produce results. These recent developments may soon lead to the Syrian government's withdrawal of its recognition of the so-called «Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)», a position it adopted in the early 1980s under President Hafez Al-Assad. In contrast, King Mohammed VI reaffirmed Morocco's position in a message of congratulations sent in February to Ahmed Al-Charaa, following his appointment as Syria's transitional president. The King reiterated Morocco's «consistent support for the brotherly Syrian people in achieving their aspirations for freedom, peace, and stability».
