Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act of 2026

This bill requires the U.S. government to investigate whether the Polisario Front—a political and military group—has cooperated on military or intelligence matters with Iranian-affiliated terrorist organizations. If the Secretary of State determines that such cooperation occurred, the bill requires the President to impose federal sanctions against the group.

* **The Polisario Front:** Officially known as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro, including any successor organizations. * **Federal Officials and Agencies:** The Secretary of State is required to conduct investigations and write reports, and the President is required to enforce sanctions if conditions are met. * **Iranian-Affiliated Terrorist Entities:** Groups linked to Iran, including Hezbollah or designated Iranian Foreign Terrorist Organizations, that conduct transactions or share resources with the Polisario Front. * **Congressional Committees:** The Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which would receive the required reports.

* **Mandatory Reporting:** Within 90 days of enactment, and every year after that, the Secretary of State must submit an unclassified report to Congress. The first report must review the preceding 10 years; later reports cover the period since the previous report. * **Investigation Requirements:** The State Department must determine if the Polisario Front provided to, or received from, Iranian-affiliated terrorist groups (directly or through intermediaries) any of the following: * Armed operational support. * Weapons, firearms, or shoulder-fired missiles. * Drones or commercially available drone components. * Air defense or anti-aircraft tracking and targeting systems. * Military intelligence, including surveillance data, targeting info, signals intelligence, or human intelligence. * **Mandatory Sanctions:** If the Secretary of State confirms any of these activities occurred, the President must impose sanctions within 30 days of the report submission. The required sanctions are: * Formally designating the Polisario Front as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). * Blocking the group's property and banning financial transactions with them under Executive Order 13224.

The provided summary does not mention any specific funding allocations, spending authorizations, taxes, or user fees associated with implementing this bill.

* **Conditional Implementation:** The bill does not immediately sanction the Polisario Front upon passage. Sanctions are strictly conditional on the Secretary of State making a formal determination that qualifying military or intelligence cooperation actually occurred. * **Unclear Waiver Authority:** The summary does not state whether the President is granted authority to waive or delay the mandatory sanctions for national security or diplomatic reasons.

This bill mandates a U.S. investigation into potential military and intelligence ties between the Polisario Front and Iranian-backed terrorist groups. If the Secretary of State finds proof of such ties, the U.S. government must officially label the Polisario Front a Foreign Terrorist Organization and freeze its assets.