Israeli intelligence services are increasingly monitoring networks linked to Iran in North Africa and the Sahel region. Long focused on the Levant and the Persian Gulf, the direct confrontation between Israel and Tehran is now extending into vast, unstable, and difficult-to-control territories.
According to several analysts, Iran is seeking to develop a strategy of influence in North Africa and the Sahel by relying on Algeria through local intermediaries: Polisario armed groups, JNIM (Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims), the Azawad Liberation Front, smuggling networks, community militias, and Shiite ideological organizations connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
The objective would not necessarily be to establish a visible military presence, but rather to build networks capable of operating remotely against Israeli and Western interests.
Border regions in Mali, Niger, and southern Libya have reportedly become gray zones where weapons, drones, and clandestine funding circulate. Some cells are said to use Saharan routes to move equipment and fighters across territories that are largely beyond state control.
In Tel Aviv, several security officials reportedly believe that this development represents a new phase of the “peripheral war” waged by Tehran.
According to our correspondent in Israel, “North Africa and the Sahel provide an ideal environment for hybrid warfare.” “Porous borders, institutional weakness, and the proliferation of armed groups allow external powers to operate without appearing directly involved.”
Concerns reportedly focus on the possibility of attacks against Israeli interests in the region, including technology companies, security cooperation projects, port infrastructure, and diplomatic missions.
In Algiers, authorities within Algeria’s military regime view the security agreements concluded between Israel and certain African countries as a major strategic threat. Algerian state media regularly speak of an Israeli penetration into the Maghreb and the Sahel, accusing Tel Aviv of seeking to build an arc of military influence around Algeria through surveillance technologies, drones, and intelligence partnerships.
For the United States administration, a close ally of Israel, Algeria’s military regime and Iran are considered a potential threat to regional stability in Africa and the Mediterranean Sea.