Iran is spreading its mischief to North Africa

Nuclear deal has emboldened Tehran and encouraged it to extend its tentacles across the Middle East

As world powers debate the effectiveness of the Iran nuclear deal amid a fast-approaching deadline for United States President Donald Trump to decide whether the US will pull out of the agreement or not, more examples of Iran’s meddling in the region present themselves. Morocco said on Tuesday that the Polisario Front, a militant separatist group battling Morocco over the Western Sahara, has been receiving funds and weapons from Iran. The revelation emerged when Morocco said it had undisputed evidence of foul play and decided to sever its relations with Iran — a move that was applauded by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE.

Morocco conducted detailed investigations, which traced the weapons to Algeria, where there is a heavy presence of Hezbollah officials, hosted by the Iranian embassy there. Among the weapons smuggled to the Polisario were SAM 9, SAM 22 and Strela missiles. They also received urban warfare training. Moroccan investigators also uncovered a network of bunkers and tunnels built by Polisario fighters in the Sahara. What critics of the nuclear deal have been saying for a long time now is that the deal needs better mechanisms to rein in Iranian adventurism, including tougher restrictions on its ballistic missiles programme, unfettered access to its nuclear sites and pressure to get Iran to stop funding and arming proxy groups in the Middle East. They say the deal has emboldened Iran and encouraged it to spread its tentacles across the Middle East where it wishes to become a regional superpower.

Arab states have long accused Iran of fomenting strife in their countries. Iran already has proxies in Lebanon, Gaza, Syria, Bahrain, Iraq and Yemen, but has been eyeing North Africa lately. In 2017, the Islamist PJD party in Morocco warned of a “sectarian Shiite invasion” and the Grand Mufti of Mauritania called on his country’s leaders to resist the “rising Shiite tide”.

While Iran’s interference in Morocco has been documented in the past through its support of the Moroccan armed opposition group Chabiba Islamiya during the reign of King Hassan II, the current King Mohammad VI’s father, the latest revelations show Tehran’s renewed interest in destabilising Morocco. This escalation needs to be examined carefully when world leaders are ironing out details to toughen the Iranian nuclear deal.

It is important that the deal be fixed to address these gaping holes, which allow it to do as it pleases with little or no repercussions from the international community. If nothing is done then a direct war with Iran will be inevitable, Saudi crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman has warned. Such a war will be disastrous for the region and should be prevented at any cost.