Regional Studies Center

Regional Studies Center held a seminar entitled (Iran and the Western Sahara issue) by Dr. Muhammad Abdul-Rahman Al-Obaidi, in the presence of the Center’s researchers, on Wednesday, February 17, 2021.The researcher “Al-Obaidi” said that choosing the title of the research came as an extension of the research that he is carrying out on Iranian-Arab African relations. The importance of research is on studying ways to solve this issue, provide effective solutions for it in the Arab world, away from external interference, and prevent it. As for the research problem, it lies in: What is the nature of the Iranian position on the Western Sahara issue, and what is Iran’s interest in it?.The researcher added that the objectives of the research are about identifying Iran’s attitude toward the Western Sahara issue, and its impact on Iranian-Moroccan relations. The research hypothesis is based on that Iran has a position on the Western Sahara issue, this position hurts its relations with the Kingdom of Morocco, and was a direct cause of the severing of relations between the two countries in 2018.The researcher emphasized that the research adopts the method of the historical approach in presenting the events with analysis and research in explaining the Iranian attitude to the issue.The research was divided into three topics, the first of which includes an overview of Iranian-Moroccan relations during 1979-2018, while the second one involves the emergence and development of the Western Sahara issue with a study and an explanation of the historical, geographical background, and the economic importance of the Western Sahara region, while the third topic studies the Iranian position on the Western Sahara issue and its impact on Iranian-Moroccan relations. In conclusion, the research theme has had extensive discussion and analysis by the attendant researchers.