Assahafa.com
Iran’s government has commented on reports about meetings with Morocco to restore diplomatic ties, asserting that Tehran has never initiated the severance of relations.
“Iran has always welcomed the improvement and expansion of relations with neighboring regional, and Islamic countries,” news outlet Entekhab quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei as saying.
He made his remarks in response to reports regarding a meeting between Iran and Morocco.
“The history of our relations with Morocco is clear. Iran has never taken the initiative to sever ties. In line with our longstanding policy, which continues…We always welcome improved relations with countries based on the principles of wisdom, dignity, and expediency,” he added.
Morocco cut ties with Iran in 2018, citing evidence of collusion between the Polisario Front and Iran’s proxy Hezbollah.
Rabat accused Tehran of providing the separatist group with military and logistical support.
However, now several reports say the two countries are advancing in talks to establish bilateral relations.
Reports suggest that an Iranian representative met with Moroccan officials earlier this month, in an effort to explore the possibility of reestablishing diplomatic ties.
The news comes as the Polisario – the separatist group that challenges Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces – has implemented maneuvers using Iranian-made military equipment.
Iran has long denied collusion with Polisario, despite hard evidence that Morocco asserts they have of Iran backing the Polisario via Algeria.
In 2018, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita said that Morocco provided detailed evidence of the collusion with Tehran.
“The file was carefully prepared, for weeks, on the basis of information collected and cross-checked over several months,” said Bourita, adding that the document summarizes “proven and precise facts: dates of visits by senior officers of Hezbollah in Algeria, dates and venues of meetings with Polisario officials, and a list of names of agents involved in these contacts.”
He added that Morocco would not have bothered submitting a file to Iran, “if its [evidence] was not solid.”
Still, Iran has repeatedly denied that it has interfered with Morocco’s internal affairs.
Now, tensions between the two countries may be thawing, as Tehran is expressing interest in mending ties with Rabat.
In June 2023, Iran’s former Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian signaled his country’s determination to normalize ties with a number of countries in the global community, including Morocco.
Building on this momentum, Moroccan FM Bourita said in 2022 that Morocco has no “enmity” towards Tehran, saying that the North African country wishes for amicable ties.
“Morocco has no enmity with Iran, we want relations of mutual respect and that Tehran no longer supports armed separatist groups,” Bourita said, adding that Morocco “is not the only case, about Iranian interference in Arab countries and we reject these acts. ”
Source: Morocco word news
