H.R. 9982: Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act of 2026

This bill would require the Secretary of State to investigate and report on whether the Polisario Front has cooperated with certain Iranian-affiliated terrorist organizations. The first report would be due within 90 days after the bill becomes law, and then a new report would be required every year.

What the report would cover

The State Department would have to assess whether the Polisario Front has, directly or through intermediaries, given to or received from an Iranian-affiliated terrorist organization any of the following during the relevant time period:

• armed support in military operations
• weapons systems, including individual firearms
• drones or parts used in drones
• systems or components used to detect, track, engage, or destroy airborne targets
• military intelligence, such as surveillance data, targeting information, or signal/human intelligence

The first report would look back 10 years; later reports would cover the period since the last report. The required determination would be made public in unclassified form.

What would happen if the report is positive

If the report finds that the Polisario Front cooperated in the way described, the President would be required, within 30 days, to impose sanctions. Those sanctions would include:

• designation as a foreign terrorist organization
• sanctions under Executive Order 13224, which generally allow the U.S. to block property and restrict transactions involving designated persons

Definitions used by the bill

The bill defines an “Iranian-affiliated terrorist organization” as an Iranian entity that has already been designated either as a foreign terrorist organization or as a specially designated global terrorist. It defines “Iranian entity” to include an Iranian person and Hezbollah. It also defines the Polisario Front as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro, or any successor organization.

Relevant Companies

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