U.S. Maintains Unchanged Stance on the Moroccan Sahara: Denial of Allegations and Highlighting Geopolitical Tensions with Iran

The U.S. State Department recently reiterated that the United States’ stance on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara remains “clear and consistent.” This confirmation follows former President Donald Trump’s declaration in December 2020, recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
The United States reaffirms unwavering support for the position on the Moroccan Sahara and warns against Iranian influence. In a statement preceding the visit to Morocco by the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for North Africa, Joshua Harris, the State Department emphasized that during discussions in Rabat, the U.S. official will reiterate that there is no change in the United States’ position. This reiteration aims to counter allegations from certain Algerian media suggesting a supposed shift in the U.S. stance on the Sahara following the recent visit of the U.S. diplomat to Algiers.
The statement also indicates that the United States fully supports the UN Personal Envoy, de Mistura, in facilitating the negotiation process to achieve a just, sustainable, and mutually acceptable solution to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
The visit of the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary to Rabat will also focus on strengthening the partnership between the United States and Morocco, along with regional security priorities, according to the statement.
Regarding the Western Sahara within Morocco, U.S. support extends to Arab, African, Asian, and European countries. The Polisario, considered a terrorist entity by several countries and NGOs, faces a deadlock between independence and autonomy for Sahrawis confined in the Tindouf camps.
Currently, the Polisario is militarily funded by Iran, seeking to enhance its influence in various regions, thereby challenging the interests of the United States and other Western countries. Military sources indicate that shipments containing missiles, drones, and ammunition have been sent to two Algerian military bases in the south and west of Algeria.
Iran’s initiative aims to expand its capacity to challenge the interests of the United States and other Western countries by reinforcing its financial, logistical, and military support for the Polisario while solidifying its alliance with the Lebanese Hezbollah and Hamas.
The alliance among Iran, the Polisario, Hamas, and the Lebanese Hezbollah militias raises dangerous regional and geopolitical implications, particularly in the context of anti-Israel sentiment in the Middle East and Israel’s rapprochement with several Arab and African countries.