Reading by the “Don’t Forget Western Sahara” Platform of the UK Defence Journal article (28/10/2025), “UK monitoring Iran links to Western Sahara”, by George Allison.

The UK denies having any evidence of Iranian support for the Polisario Front but reinforces its alignment with Morocco in the Western Sahara conflict

The British government has officially acknowledged that it has no evidence of any link between Iran and the Polisario Front. However, the Foreign Office’s discourse—framed as “pragmatic” and “balanced”—reveals an increasing convergence with the Moroccan narrative on Western Sahara and a political use of the supposed “Iranian threat” to reinforce Rabat’s autonomy plan.

On 27 October, the UK House of Lords held a debate on an alleged relationship between Iran and the Polisario Front. The issue was raised by Lord Godson, who asked the Government “what assessment they have made of recent reports of increasing Iranian support for the Polisario Front; and what steps they are taking with allies to address the risks posed by Iranian influence in the Western Sahara conflict” (Parliamentary Question UIN HL10117, 2 September 2025).

The official answer, published on 26 September 2025 by Baroness Chapman of Darlington, Minister at the Foreign Office, left no room for doubt:

“The UK has not seen requisite evidence regarding the allegation of Iranian support to the Polisario Front. However, we continue to monitor Iranian activity in the region.”

“The UK has long condemned the destabilising activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its regional partners and proxies. We will continue to work with partners to tackle Iran’s destabilising activity.”

These statements, recorded in the official parliamentary record, categorically refute the allegations of any supposed connection between Tehran and the Sahrawi movement.

From official denial to diplomatic ‘pragmatism’

During the 27 October debate, reported by UK Defence Journal, Baroness Chapman reiterated before the Lords that “the UK has not seen evidence of Iranian support for the Polisario Front,” although she repeated that the government would “continue to monitor Iranian activity in the region.”
Even so, the discussion quickly turned into a reaffirmation of Britain’s closeness to Morocco.

Chapman confirmed that Minister Stephen Falconer had met with Polisario representatives on 5 August, “as part of efforts to support a new framework for dialogue, following the UK’s decision to recognise Morocco’s stated intentions regarding Western Sahara.” She added:

“We feel that it was the right, pragmatic way forward, given the length of time that this conflict has gone on. We remain incredibly close to our friends in Morocco and we hope that this can proceed in a way that brings peace and stability to the entire region.”

This language—“pragmatic,” “close to Morocco,” “regional stability”—reflects a political stance clearly tilted towards Rabat rather than towards international law. London thus adopts the same argument Morocco repeats before the UN: that its autonomy plan is “a practical way forward.”

The Iranian argument as a distraction tool

Conservative peers Godson and Polak used the debate to insist that “Iran is using the Polisario to destabilise the region,” yet they provided no verifiable evidence. The UK Defence Journal quotes Lord Godson referring to “a mutual admiration society between the current Iranian regime, the IRGC and the Polisario”—a claim unsupported by any factual documentation.

Baroness Chapman, however, reiterated that no evidence exists and that her government merely “monitors the situation.” Even so, the debate conveniently positioned the Iranian topic within the broader context of the upcoming UN Security Council resolution on Western Sahara, in which Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon described the Moroccan autonomy plan as “a practical way forward to peace.”

In short, the Iran narrative functions as a convenient smokescreen: it diverts attention from the essential fact—the illegal occupation of Western Sahara—and reinforces the geopolitical narrative of Morocco’s Western allies.

Conclusion: “No evidence,” but a persistent narrative

The United Kingdom has been explicit: it has no evidence linking Iran to the Polisario Front.
That sentence, recorded in the official Parliamentary Question UIN HL10117 and repeated by Baroness Chapman in the House of Lords, should settle the issue. But the political discourse that followed proves the opposite: the use of “pragmatism” and the “Iranian threat” serves as a rhetorical tool to legitimise British support for Morocco and dilute international responsibility for the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.

The real message from London is not the absence of evidence—but the persistence of a foreign policy that prioritises the occupier’s stability over the occupied’s justice.

“Don’t Forget Western Sahara” Platform