Relations between the
Islamic Republic of Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and the
Kingdom of Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
are mostly non-existent, and diplomatic relations between the two nations have often been tarred by disputes. On several occasions Iran and Morocco have mostly or completely severed diplomatic relations. Both countries are members of
Group of 77 and the
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.
The movement originated in the aftermath o ...
.
History
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
cut off all diplomatic ties with
Rabat in 1981. This was in response to
King Hassan II's decision to give asylum to the exiled Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It was almost a decade before relations would thaw enough to renew ties. It was almost one decade after that before
Abderrahmane Youssoufi
Abderrahmane Youssoufi ( ; ar, عبد الرحمن اليوسفي; 8 March 1924 – 29 May 2020) was a Moroccan politician and human rights lawyer who served as the 12th Prime Minister of Morocco from 1998 to 2002, serving under kings Hassan II ...
,
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
of Morocco at the time, would lead the first Moroccan delegation to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Economic ties increased greatly in recent times.
On 6 March 2009, following an Iranian official's statement that questioned the sovereignty of Sunni-ruled Bahrain, King
Mohammed VI Muhammad VI may refer to:
* Muhammad Imaaduddeen VI (1868–1932), sultan of the Maldives from 1893 to 1902
* Mehmed VI (1861–1926), sultan of Ottoman Empire, from 1918 to 1922
* Mohammed VI of Morocco
Mohammed VI ( ar, محمد الساد ...
of Morocco decided to sever the country's diplomatic relations with Iran. The official's remark sparked a significant backlash from the Sunni Muslim community. Morocco also accused Iran of attempting to spread its Shi’ite version of Islam in the country, which it deemed as a danger to its moderate Sunni religious identity.
In February 2014, the two countries announced they were re-establishing diplomatic ties.
On 2 May 2018, Morocco cut its diplomatic ties with Iran for the third time, with the Moroccan Foreign Minister
Nasser Bourita
Nasser Bourita ( ar, ناصر بوريطة; born ) is a Moroccan diplomat serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates since 5 April 2017.
Education
Bourita was born in Taounate, Morocco. In 1991, B ...
citing Iranian financial and logistical support to the secessionist
Polisario Front
The Polisario Front, Frente Polisario, Frelisario or simply Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro), (in ar, rtl=yes, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير الس ...
through its Lebanese proxy
Hezbollah and the Iranian embassy in
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
.
Reuters
2 May 2018
See also
* Foreign relations of Iran
The foreign relations of Iran are the economic and diplomatic relationships between the Iranian government and governments of other countries. Geography is a very significant factor in informing Iran's foreign policy. Following the 1979 Iranian ...
* Foreign relations of Morocco
Morocco is a member of the United Nations and belongs to the African Union, Arab League, Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Non-Aligned Movement and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN_SAD). Morocco's ...
* List of ambassadors of Iran to Morocco
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iran-Morocco relations
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
Bilateral relations of Morocco