Morocco-US strategic ties challenge Spain’s influence in Washington, report says

Morocco’s relationship with the United States has evolved from a predominantly security-focused partnership into a broader strategic alliance spanning geopolitics, supply chains, energy, technology and engagement in Africa, according to a report by Spain’s Elcano Royal Institute.

The report identifies the Western Sahara issue as the central political pillar of the relationship and a key measure of Morocco’s strategy toward Washington, arguing that closer US-Moroccan ties are changing the strategic environment in which Spain manages its relations with Rabat.

For Madrid, the report says, the main risk is not that Morocco will replace Spain as Washington’s preferred partner, but that Spain will gradually lose influence over the White House’s agenda in North Africa. Spain retains significant strategic assets, it adds, but needs to use them more effectively to preserve its standing.

The report attributes Morocco’s growing importance to its ability to connect different strategic arenas. Rabat maintains relations with the Gulf monarchies and strategic ties with Israel, while linking the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Africa, the Sahel and the Middle East. This positioning, it argues, has increased Morocco’s appeal to Washington.

From security cooperation to a broader strategic partnership

The report traces the expansion of US-Moroccan relations to the beginning of the 21st century, when the two countries began developing a broader and more institutionalized partnership backed by bipartisan support in the US Congress.

The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks reinforced the security dimension of the relationship. Under President George W. Bush, Washington intensified cooperation with Arab governments it regarded as moderate in its campaign against terrorism, with Morocco emerging as one of its principal partners in North Africa.

Economic ties also advanced. The United States and Morocco signed a free trade agreement in June 2004, which the report says reflected ambitions extending beyond commerce. The Bush administration viewed Morocco as a moderate Arab and Muslim partner whose economic and political reforms merited support.

That same month, Washington designated Morocco a major non-NATO ally, a status that facilitates access to certain forms of US military cooperation, equipment, research and training.

President Barack Obama’s administration built on the relationship established by his predecessor while placing greater emphasis on political reform, human rights and economic development.

The 2020 turning point

The report identifies December 2020 as a decisive moment in the relationship, during Donald Trump’s first administration.

As part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords, Morocco agreed to restore diplomatic relations with Israel. At the same time, Washington formally recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, becoming the first major Western power to do so, according to the report.

The decision marked a departure from previous US policy, which had described Morocco’s autonomy proposal for the disputed territory as serious and credible without recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over it.

President Joe Biden’s arrival in the White House in January 2021 initially raised the possibility of a policy review. His administration ultimately retained the recognition, although it did not open a consulate in Dakhla as Trump had promised.

Biden also maintained other elements of the relationship, including military cooperation, the African Lion exercises, counterterrorism coordination and strategic dialogue.

Trump’s return reinforces Washington’s position on Western Sahara

Trump’s return to office in January 2025 accelerated the consolidation of the strategic partnership, the report says.

In April 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the only practical solution and Morocco’s autonomy plan as the sole framework for negotiations, according to the report.

In August 2026, Trump reiterated that position in a letter to King Mohammed VI, rejecting alternatives that would prolong the status quo.

The report argues that Washington’s increasingly explicit support for Morocco’s position has strengthened Rabat’s ability to promote its autonomy proposal internationally.

For Spain, whose relations with Morocco have long been shaped by the Western Sahara dispute, this reduces the scope for addressing the issue exclusively through bilateral Spanish-Moroccan channels or within the European framework.

The report describes the shift in US policy as a structural change in the dispute’s diplomatic context, giving Morocco greater room to internationalize its proposal.

A changing strategic balance for Spain

Over the past decade, Morocco has sought to reduce its political dependence on Europe through a more autonomous, assertive and diversified foreign policy, although the European Union remains its principal economic partner, the report notes.

Closer ties with Washington introduce a new factor into the strategic balance of the western Mediterranean. The report cautions that the shift does not necessarily weaken Spain’s position, but changes the circumstances in which Madrid must manage its relationship with Rabat.

Spain now faces a regional environment in which Morocco has greater autonomy, a wider range of strategic partners and an expanding capacity to exert influence beyond the Maghreb.

The report argues that Spain’s response should not consist solely of reacting to each Moroccan diplomatic success. Instead, Madrid should strengthen the advantages that make it a difficult partner for Washington to replace.

It concludes that the consolidation of the US-Moroccan strategic axis represents both a challenge and an incentive for Spain, whose priority should be to ensure that Morocco’s growing weight does not diminish Spanish influence over the US agenda in North Africa.