Iran rejects Morocco's accusations of spreading Shiism in Africa

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has rejected Morocco’s accusations that the Islamic Republic would be planning to spread Shiism in Africa.

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday at a press conference that allegations by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita are "unfounded projections."

In January Bourita warned a parliamentary committee of Iran's supposed attempts to spread its influence in Africa, vowing to protect "the spiritual security of Africa" from Shiism. 

"Iran plans to enter West Africa and to spread the Shiite doctrine in the region," he told the committee.

Sub-Saharan West African countries are home to a sizeable southern Lebanese community, which includes Hezbollah supporters and has business interests in the mining industry. 

Bourita also accused Iran of fomenting discord in the region via the Tehran-backed Ansarullah movement (also known as Houthis) in Yemen. The armed group carried out a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE since the beginning of a Saudi-led military intervention against them in 2015. Ansarullah targeted the UAE with missile and drone attacks on three occasions in January alone.

Morocco is an ally of both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. Morocco and the UAE recently normalised relations with Israel, Iran's main regional foe, via the US-brokered Abraham Accords.

"Morocco support for... the United Arab Emirates [after what they] have been subjected to was a clear message to denounce the abuses of the Houthis and the Iranian policy... behind them,” said Bourita.

The diplomatic crisis between Tehran and Rabat erupted in 2018, when Morocco accused Iran of resorting to the Lebanese Hezbollah group to train Polisario Front separatist fighters in Western Sahara. An accusation both Tehran and Hezbollah denied. Rabat has not produced any evidence of its allegations.

“Renewing the four-year conflict through accusations in the media is Rabat warning language, showing its readiness to react if necessary,” Mehdi Rais, a Moroccan expert in international relations, told The New Arab.

Rais added that Morocco is worried about Iran because of the Islamic Republic's cozy relations with Algeria, which backs the Polisario Front.

“Iran might use training programs for the Polisario to attack sensitive areas in the kingdom, following the same approach of the Tehran-backed Houthis [in their] attacks on Saudi Arabia and the Emirates,” said Rais.

Several Arab Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and UAE, have either severed or downgraded diplomatic relations with Iran, accusing Tehran of interference in the domestic affairs of the MENA region.