Morocco appointed a new ambassador to Iran for the first time on Oct. 14 following a seven-year halt in diplomatic representation in Tehran. The relations between the two countries had been interrupted in 2009 upon a unilateral Moroccan decision that followed Iran’s use of “inappropriate terms” (which were not specified) — according to the Moroccan Foreign Ministry — after the kingdom showed solidarity with Bahrain when an Iranian official described Bahrain as an Iranian province.
A statement by the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said at the time that Morocco asked for Iranian clarification regarding the statements about Bahrain. Morocco — just like many countries such as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries — had expressed solidarity with the Kingdom of Bahrain and rejected any act aimed at encroaching upon the sovereignty of Bahrain. The Moroccan Foreign Ministry also accused in its statement then the Iranian diplomats in Morocco of seeking to change “the kingdom’s core religious components,” clearly accusing Iran of spreading Shiism.
The appointment of Hassan Hami as Moroccan ambassador to Iran is a formal declaration of the resumption of direct diplomatic action, after Iran had appointed Mohammad Taqi Moayed as its ambassador to Rabat in late 2014, in the wake of an understanding between the two countries on a gradual resumption of relations and an end to the rivalry. The understanding was reached after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif contacted his Moroccan counterpart, Salaheddine Mezouar, in February of the same year and expressed regret for what happened. Zarif expressed the Islamic Republic of Iran’s appreciation of King Mohammed VI and respect for the Moroccan fundamentals.
Iranians have reportedly been more adamant than the Moroccans on putting an end to the rivalry and starting reconciliation. This can be explained by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s foreign policy, which has been characterized by a more flexible rhetoric and a larger ability to negotiate in comparison with the previous hard-line rhetoric of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
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