War on Iran: How Algeria and Morocco manoeuvre the fallout

AI Summary

Algeria and Morocco are navigating the geopolitical fallout of the US-Israeli war on Iran in divergent ways: Algeria is pursuing diplomatic balance while benefiting from rising energy prices, and Morocco sees the conflict as an opportunity to strengthen ties with Washington, Israel, and Gulf states in relation to the Western Sahara dispute. The crisis has broader implications for North African regional alliances and the Sahel.

War on Iran: How Algeria and Morocco manoeuvre the fallout The Maghreb is following the US-Israeli war on Iran and its expansion across the Middle East with particular interest, and for good reason: the geopolitical and economic implications of this major crisis will certainly impact regional balances in North Africa as well. Behind the bombs raining down on Tehran, the future of Western Sahara, alliances in the Sahel and the rivalry between the two North African heavyweights, Algeria and Morocco, are also being played out. Tehran has traditionally been allied with Algeria - and to a lesser extent Tunisia - while considering Morocco a hostile actor. And Algiers and Rabat have similarly developed radically different approaches to the latest course of events. On the one hand, Algeria is attempting a complex diplomatic balancing act, namely, defending its principles without harming its interests, while simultaneously profiting from soaring energy prices as a major oil and gas power. Morocco, on the other hand, sees the war as a further opportunity to strengthen its alliance with Washington and Israel - as well as the Gulf states - in anticipation of the ongoing negotiations on the fate of Western Sahara, a territory it claims and has occupied 80 percent of for the past 50 years. Read more: War on Iran: How Algeria and Morocco manoeuvre the fallout Smoke from the fire at the Tehran Oil Refinery covers the skyline of Tehran on 8 March 2026 (Atta Kenare/AFP)