Washington Post: Iran trained Polisario fighters, Syria’s new regime is taking them down

Over the years, Iran has built a vast web of proxy groups to expand its influence across the Middle East and North Africa, including Polisario Front militias operating from Algerian territory, an investigation by the globally recognized Washington Post  revealed.

According to regional and European security officials who spoke to the WP, Iran helped train hundreds of Polisario fighters—many of whom are now in detention after being rounded up by Syria’s new security forces.

This crackdown comes as Syria undergoes major change. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad late last year, the new leadership under Ahmed al-Sharaa has been working to dismantle the networks that once served as supply lines for Iran and its allies like Hezbollah. 

Dismantling these networks includes cutting off smuggling routes near the Lebanese border and reclaiming areas that were used to store weapons and drugs.

Places like Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali and Qusayr, once vital hubs for Iranian-backed operations, are now battle-scarred and mostly abandoned. 

Syrian forces, under commanders are pushing out the last remnants of Iran’s presence, even as fighting continues with local militias and Hezbollah-linked clans.

Iran, feeling the squeeze, is now reportedly turning to more desperate tactics. 

Security officials warn that Tehran has begun looking beyond its traditional allies, possibly even tapping into Sunni extremist groups to destabilize the new Syrian government and maintain some grip on the region.

But Syria’s new rulers still face serious challenges. Iranian-linked militias have melted into the shadows, blending with criminal networks to smuggle weapons and evade detection. 

Hezbollah is scrambling to move arms out of Syria, dodging Israeli airstrikes and relying on the remnants of old supply routes.