Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain Condemn Iran’s support for Polisario

Morocco’s allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, condemned Iran’s support for the Polisario separatists and welcomed the decision to sever ties with Tehran.

Morocco announced Tuesday that it has cut diplomatic ties with Iran over its involvement in backing an alliance between Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah and the Polisario separatists.

Morocco’s foreign minister said the Iranian embassy in Algiers facilitated the shipment of surface to air missiles to the Polisario as well as the training of separatist militias on urban warfare by Hezbollah military experts.

Saudi Arabia officially condemned on Tuesday the Iranian interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco.

In a message posted Tuesday on his Tweeter account, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir vigorously denounced Iran’s destabilizing policies and interference in the internal affairs of the Arab and Islamic states, and voiced his country’s support for the “brotherly kingdom of Morocco”.

He also denounced Iran’s policy seeking to destabilize these countries’ security and its support for terrorism. The military aid provided by Iran to the Polisario through the Hezbollah militia is an indisputable proof of this policy, the Saudi Foreign Minister said.

The Saudi official news agency said that Saudi Arabia will always stand by Morocco in the defense of its security, stability and territorial integrity.

Riyadh also strongly condemned the involvement of Iran’s puppet, Hezbollah, in arming the polisairo to destabilize Morocco, saying that the Lebanese shiiite militia is a “terrorist organization.”

“Saudi Arabia expresses solidarity with brotherly Morocco against whatever may undermine its security”.

Bahrain’s foreign minister, Khalid bin Ahmed AL Khalifa, backed Morocco in its decision to cut diplomatic ties with Iran.

“We support Morocco which has always backed Bahrain and we endorse its timely decision to sever ties with Iran who supports the enemies of the North African Kingdom using the terrorist organization Hezbollah,” Al Khalifa said in a tweet.

In the same vein, UAE’s foreign minister Anwar Gargash said that his country supports Morocco’s supreme interests against Iran’s meddling. “Our policy and position is in line with the longstanding line drawn by Sheikh Zayed and King Hassan II,” Anwar Gargash said in a Tweet.

Gulf Arab countries, the Arab League, the United States and the European Union have all branded Hezbollah a terrorist organization.