After Bahrain, KSA, UAE, Qatar & Kuwait Express Solidarity with Morocco in Preserving its Sovereignty & Security

After Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, Morocco’s other Gulf allies, Qatar and Kuwait, have also condemned Iran’s support for the Polisario separatists and expressed solidarity with Morocco in preserving its sovereignty and security.

Kuwait firmly opposes any attempts to undermine security and stability in Morocco, said a Foreign Ministry source on Thursday.

Kuwait stands in support of measures taken by Morocco to keep its security intact and fend off any attempt to meddle in its internal affairs, the source was quoted by official news agency Kuna as saying.

The Foreign Ministry source emphasized that the principle of respect for the sovereignty of states is deeply embedded in the UN charter.

Qatar on its part expressed its full solidarity with Morocco in preserving its sovereignty against any attempts aimed at undermining its unity or targeting its security and the safety of its citizens.

“Qatar stresses the importance of respecting the principles governing relations between states, foremost among them respect for the sovereignty of states, non-interference in their internal affairs and the resolution of disputes through dialogue and peaceful means and internationally recognized methods,” Qatar’s Foreign Affairs Ministry pointed out in a statement released on Tuesday.

The Gulf Cooperation Council, as an institution, voiced its full and firm solidarity with Morocco, and affirmed support for all initiatives undertaken by the kingdom to consolidate its sovereignty and territorial unity.

Following Morocco’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with Iran, the GCC expressed, through the voice of its Secretary General, Abdellatif Ben Rached Ziani, its “total and firm support for this decision.”

At the same time, the GCC condemns in the strongest terms “Iranian interference in the internal affairs of the brotherly Kingdom of Morocco”, through the military support provided by Tehran to the so-called Polisario, the GCC Secretary General said in a statement Wednesday.

Morocco announced on Tuesday its decision to sever its diplomatic ties with Iran over Tehran’s support for Hezbollah in arming and training Polisario separatists.

Announcing the decision, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita
Said “We have tangible proof of Iran’s involvement in backing Hezbollah’s alliance with the Polisario”.

He 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.

“Hezbollah provided Sam9 and Sam11 missiles to Polisario,” Bourita said, insisting that the decision to cut ties with Iran is a bilateral issue in response to Tehran’s involvement in facilitating an alliance with Polisario.

Immediately after the announcement, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, condemned in separate statements Iran’s support for the Polisario separatists and welcomed Morocco’s decision to sever ties with Tehran.

Saudi Arabia officially condemned the Iranian interference in the internal affairs of brotherly Morocco and said it will always stand by Morocco in the defense of its security, stability and territorial integrity, pointing out that “Saudi Arabia expresses solidarity with brotherly Morocco against whatever may undermine its security”.

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.”

“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,” said Bahrain’s foreign minister, Khalid bin Ahmed AL Khalifa, expressing backing to the Moroccan decision.

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.