Morocco/Iran: Morocco severs diplomatic ties with Iran

Event

The Moroccan foreign minister announced on Tuesday, May 1, that the country will sever diplomatic ties with Iran over alleged Iranian support for the Polisario Front, an independence movement in the Western Sahara region that Morocco claims is a part of its territory. As such, the Moroccan Embassy in Tehran will be closed and the Iranian ambassador in Rabat will be expelled.

Context

Morocco previously cut diplomatic ties with Iran over its lack of support for the Sunni ruling governing in Bahrain (home to a majority Shi'a Muslim population). Ties were restored in 2014 but have been strained by regional politics.