Sens. Cruz, Cotton, Scott Introduce Bill Targeting Iranian Regime’s Polisario Front

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced the Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act of 2026. The legislation requires the Secretary of State to designate the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization if the Secretary confirms the Polisario Front is cooperating with Iranian groups already designated as terrorist organizations.

Sen. Cruz said, "The Iranian regime is trying to turn the Polisario Front into the Houthis of West Africa and use them to undermine the national security of the United States and our allies. The Polisario Front is working with Iranian terrorist groups, receiving drones from the IRGC, and moving weapons around the region on behalf of the Iranian regime. This bill will ensure that America's most powerful anti-terrorism sanctions can be used to counter those threats and, once a designation is secured, the Polisario Front and its leaders will be cut off from access to the global financial system, international travel, and the resources they rely upon to conduct their terrorism."

Sen. Cotton said, "The Polisario Front is a terrorist organization that openly supports Iran and Hezbollah. Designating these terrorists as such is long overdue."

Sen. Scott said, "The Polisario Front's ties to adversaries like Communist China, Iran, and Russia, and its cooperation with Iranian-backed terrorists like Hezbollah must be confronted. I am proud to join Senator Cruz on the Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act to ensure the United States has the tools to fully investigate these terrorists and hold those involved accountable. The United States doesn't negotiate with terrorists. This bill makes clear that any threat to the American people and our way of life will be met with decisive action."

Read the bill text here.

BACKGROUND:

The Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act of 2026 would initiate a process to designate the Polisario Front as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) if the group is found to be engaging in military and terrorist cooperation with Iranian-affiliated terrorist groups. Specifically, it requires a report from the Secretary of State on cooperation between the Polisario Front and such groups relating to:

• Armed participation in military operations;
• Weapons systems, including man-portable individual-use firearms;
• Unmanned aerial vehicles, including commercially available component parts;
• Systems or components designed to detect, track, engage, or destroy airborne targets; and
• Military intelligence support, including surveillance data, targeting information, signals, or human intelligence, and related analysis in raw or processed form.