Any Iranian-Moroccan detente will be slow to emerge

Significance Resuming ties with Iran could ease the discomfort Rabat's ties with Israel have caused in the last 14 months, and could bring Morocco into the wider warming of relations between the Gulf monarchies (with which Morocco is close) and Iran. However, Iran’s ties Algeria and Tunisia could pose diplomatic trade-offs for all parties. Impacts Regional conflicts are unlikely to trigger a break in Moroccan-Israeli ties. US-Moroccan security and defence cooperation will grow under both Republican and Democratic administrations. UN efforts to mediate the conflict in Western Sahara are likely to face major hurdles given the parties' unwillingness to compromise. A more pro-Palestinian stance could win Morocco’s monarchy domestic acclaim.