Stronger US-Morocco ties below Trump essential to counter Iran, bolster Sahara safety
A brand new report from the Washington-based suppose tank Atlantic Council underscores the significance of strengthening U.S.-Morocco relations to counter Iran’s affect within the Sahel and unlock funding alternatives within the area.
Titled “Iran has ambitions in Western Sahara, Trump can contain them by bolstering ties with Morocco,” the report warns that the present U.S. administration’s distancing from Morocco dangers prolonging the decades-old Western Sahara dispute, probably permitting Iran to develop its affect at Morocco’s expense.
The report suggests the incoming administration ought to reinvigorate U.S.-Morocco safety and financial ties to enhance stability within the Sahara.
“The Western Sahara conflict may not be a top priority for the new Trump administration, but there are strong reasons to reinforce the U.S.-Morocco partnership and help resolve this long-standing issue before it becomes a greater challenge for Washington and its allies,” mentioned Sarah Zaaimi, the report’s creator.
The doc highlights issues over Iran’s help for the Polisario Front, which, coupled with Algeria’s function in supplying Iranian drones to the group, poses a rising safety risk to the Sahara and Sahel areas.
This instability may probably set off large migration flows into Southern Europe.
“Iran has found the Polisario Front to be a valuable ally to advance its geostrategic goals, aiming to secure a foothold on the Atlantic and get closer to Western Europe and the Mediterranean,” the report states.
The report additional emphasizes the significance of a coordinated effort amongst key U.S. allies, together with Spain, Israel, and France, to stop the emergence of a brand new entrance in North Africa and the Sahel, the place Russian- and Iranian-backed militias may destabilize the area.
The rising issues come as Algeria strengthens its ties with Iran and more and more attracts controversial parallels between the Palestinian and Western Saharan causes, regardless of vital historic and cultural variations.
“The incoming Trump administration has a historic opportunity to resolve the Western Sahara conflict and curb the ambitions of aggressor states in North Africa,” the report asserts.
It additionally notes that the incoming president’s skepticism towards supranational establishments may current a chance to push for a greater method to the battle throughout the UN, notably after a controversial proposal from the UN envoy to partition the territory—a plan paying homage to colonial-era borders.
The report additionally highlights the U.S. curiosity in supporting Morocco’s Atlantic Initiative, a undertaking geared toward offering landlocked Sahel nations with entry to the Atlantic by means of the $1.2 billion Dakhla harbor undertaking.
This initiative, which promotes regional financial integration, additionally presents vital alternatives for U.S. corporations, particularly in industries akin to automotive, aerospace, and significant minerals for lithium batteries.
Additionally, the report suggests the incoming administration revisit Senator Dan Sullivan’s proposal to relocate U.S. Africa Command from Germany to Morocco, capitalizing on the nation’s strategic location and army historical past with the U.S. to discourage destabilization within the area.
