Algeria, Iran reaffirm shared stance on Sahara, deepening rift with Morocco

Algeria and Iran reaffirmed their shared views over the Moroccan Sahara conflict during a meeting between presidents Abdelmejid Tebboune and Ibrahim Raisi on Sunday.

Tebboune expressed satisfaction over this “convergence of views” and their agreement to keep working towards stability in the Sahel region, specifically in the Moroccan Sahara. 

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 7th summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) organized in Algiers on the 2nd March. 

This convergence of views between the two countries comes as no surprise as both Algeria and Iran back up the separatist movement of the Polisario Front.

Tensions between Morocco and Iran over the Moroccan Sahara dispute escalated in March 2017 when Moroccan authorities arrested a key Hezbollah financier, Kassim Tajideen, in Casablanca.

This arrest, seen as a blow to Iran’s ally Hezbollah, ignited a chain reaction. While Tajideen was later extradited to the US and prosecuted for terror-related charges, the incident triggered a closer relationship between the Polisario Front and Hezbollah. 

This connection, established through a pro-Polisario committee formed by Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2016, became a major concern for Morocco.

By 2018, Morocco accused Iran not only of fostering ties with the Polisario Front but also of providing them with weapons and training, specifically in urban warfare.

Morocco also accused Algeria of playing a more active role than simply providing a meeting space for the Polisario Front and Lebanese group Hezbollah. 

Morocco said that Algeria is directly involved in facilitating Iran’s support for the Polisario separatist  movement in the Moroccan Sahara. 

Iran’s suspected arms transfers through various African groups, including kamikaze drones to the Polisario Front in Morocco and weapons to the Houthis in Yemen, have drawn opposition from several North African countries. 

This aligns with Iran’s broader strategy of countering US influence in the region, putting them at odds with Morocco, which receives financial support from the US-allied Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).