Intel: How Morocco used anti-Iran rhetoric to score its first bill in Congress

Morocco’s use of anti-Iran rhetoric, coupled with its newly hired conservative lobbyists, is finally yielding tangible dividends: its first standalone bill in the 115th Congress. And it just so happens that the bipartisan legislation comes down in favor of Rabat’s stance on the disputed Western Sahara.

Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., has partnered with Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., to introduce a nonbinding resolution “condemning the recent provocative actions of the Polisario Front and its foreign supporters,” echoing Morocco’s accusations that Iran and Hezbollah support the Algerian-backed independence movement.

“The terrorist regime in Iran has been funding attacks against Morocco by the Polisario Front and it is time for the United Nations to promote a peaceful resolution to this Western Sahara conflict,” Wilson said in a statement upon introducing the bill on Friday.

Why It Matters: As Al-Monitor reported last month, Morocco’s new lobbying and media strategy hinges in part on unsubstantiated allegations that Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah has provided the Polisario with advanced surface-to-air missiles.