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Reports: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain Voice Support for Morocco Over Row With Iran

© Sputnik / Igor Mikhalev / Go to the mediabankUN extends peacekeeping mandate for Western Sahara
UN extends peacekeeping mandate for Western Sahara - Sputnik International
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DUBAI (Sputnik) - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain have expressed solidarity with Morocco after Rabat accused Tehran of cooperation with the Western Sahara independence movement Polisario Front, local media reported on Wednesday.

"We stand with Morocco in its concern over its national causes and against Iranian interference in its domestic affairs. Our orientation in support of Morocco is a historical legacy which was established by Sheikh Zayed and King Hassan, may they rest in peace, and our stance is fixed for better or worse," UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Anwar Gargash said, as quoted by the Al Arabiya broadcaster.

Earlier in the day, Bachir Mustapha Sayed, the state councilor of Polisario, told Sputnik that Morocco's allegations against Iran and the Hezbollah movement were false, adding that Rabat had no evidence proving such claims.

READ MORE: What's Really Behind Morocco's Decision to Cut Ties With Iran?

On Tuesday, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita threatened to break off diplomatic ties with Iran over what he regarded as Tehran's military support for the Polisario Front through the Hezbollah movement. According to media reports, Morocco accused the Iranian Embassy in Algeria of ties with the Polisario. The Embassy reportedly refuted the claims.

Moroccan woman waves her national flag outside the Swedish Embassy in Rabat, Morocco, as hundreds of protesters stage a protest against Sweden’s diplomatic position on Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015 - Sputnik International
Africa
Morocco Hails UN Resolution on Western Sahara for Sending Firm Signal to Rebels
Morocco claimed control of most of Western Sahara after the end of Spanish colonial administration of the territory in 1976. Fighting later broke out between Morocco and Polisario, ending in a ceasefire in September 1991.

The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara was deployed in the same year in an attempt to achieve a lasting and mutually acceptable solution that would provide for the self-determination of Western Saharan people. Polisario still cannot agree with Morocco on the status of Western Sahara, demanding a referendum on self-determination.

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