Morocco cuts diplomatic ties with Iran

Rabat [Morocco] May 2 (ANI): Morocco will sever diplomatic ties with Iran over its alleged involvement in the delivery of weapons from its Lebanese ally Hezbollah to the Polisario Front.

Morocco's oreign ministry announced that it will close its embassy in Tehran and expel the Iranian ambassador in Rabat over Iran's support for Polisario, reported Al Jazeera.

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita "The first shipment of weapons was recently" sent to the Algerian-backed Polisario Front, which is seeking independence, via an "element" at the Iranian embassy in Algiers, according to several media reports.

Furthermore, Bourita said he presented the evidence to his Iranian counterpart earlier in the day in Tehran, which included documentation of arms deliveries made to the rebel group.

The Polisario and Morocco fought for control of Western Sahara from 1975 to 1991, with Rabat taking over the desert territory before a UN-brokered ceasefire in the former Spanish colony.

Previously, Morocco severed diplomatic links with Iran in 2009, accusing it of questioning Sunni rule of Bahrain, a Gulf Arab island that has a Shi'ite majority. The ties were restored around 2014. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI