Relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States of America date back to the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) and specifically since 1777 when Morocco under Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah became the first country in the world to recognize the independence of the United States. Morocco remains one of America's oldest and closest allies in North Africa, a status affirmed by Morocco's zero-tolerance policy towards Al-Qaeda and their affiliated groups.
President George W. Bush meeting with King Mohammed VI in the White House.
Early Diplomatic Ties
In 1777, Morocco sought to change its trade relationship with the nascent United States. Sultan Sidi Muhammad Ibn Abdullah actively sought to have an American diplomat negotiate a formal treaty, but meanwhile Moroccan pirates threatened American merchant shipping in the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, Thomas Barclay, the American consul in France, arrived in Morocco in 1786.
One of the many letters between America and Morocco was one by first President George Washington to Muhammed Ibn Abdullah. On December 1, 1789, eight months into his presidency, Washington speaks on his authority and leadership of the United States and the miscommunication between Morocco and America. In the letter, Washington expresses his regrets in lack of punctuality but clarifies that the untimely response was due to change in government and the desire to communicate on solidified terms. Washington also shows appreciation for Muhammed Ibn Abdullah's diplomatic initiative tactics in protection of American ships from pirates. These actions are appreciated because of the lack of power United States as a country had held at the moment. Morocco was the first Amazigh, Arab, African, or Muslim state to sign a treaty with America.
The Civil War Era
During the American Civil War, Morocco reaffirmed its diplomatic alliance with the United States (Union). In 1862, Confederate diplomats Henry Myers and Tom Tate Tunstall were arrested outside the American Consulate in Tangier after making disparaging remarks about the United States and its flag. American consul, James De Long overheard their jeers and asked Moroccan police to seize the men.
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Eventually, the Union officials ordered the two prisoners be sent to Fort Warren prison in Boston by way of Cadiz, Spain. As a result of the affair, Lincoln withdrew consul De Long. Having been irritated by Morocco's response, the Confederate States were never able to recover and manage relations with Morocco.
20th Century Relations
Around the turn of the 20th century, as European colonizers gazed hungrily at Morocco's resources and strategically located harbors, the United States strongly defended the Kingdom's right to its continued sovereignty at the Conference of Madrid (1880), and again at the Algeciras Conference in 1906. President Theodore Roosevelt played an important role in settling the affair during the 1906 Algeciras Conference. Elihu Root, his Secretary of State, declared, "Fair play is what the United States asks - for Morocco and for all the interested nations - and it confidently expects that outcome." President Roosevelt offered a compromise plan which the European powers accepted.
During World War I, Morocco was aligned with Allied forces. With France occupied by the Nazis during World War II, colonial French Morocco initially sided with the Axis Powers. When the Allies invaded Morocco on November 8, 1942, Moroccan defenders yielded to British and American forces. During the Anfa Conference, the Allies agreed that the only acceptable outcome of the conflict was the "unconditional surrender" of the Axis forces.
Post-War Developments and Independence
Following the end of World War II, the US military maintained several installations in Morocco because the Mediterranean had become central to the country's European defense strategy. This development brought about the stationing of an increasingly large number of soldiers on Moroccan soil. Since gaining independence from France on March 2, 1956, Morocco has been committed to nurturing a special relationship with the United States, based on both nations' historical ties and on a succession of personal friendships between Mohammed V, Hassan II, and now Mohammed VI and their American Presidential counterparts.
After Morocco gained independence, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent a letter to Mohammed V reaffirming the ties between the two nations. In November 1957, King Mohammed V traveled to Washington to pay an official call on President Eisenhower. In 1961, King Hassan II, Mohammed V's successor, made the first of several diplomatic visits to the United States to confer with President John F. Kennedy. King Hassan II would later journey to Washington to meet Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.
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During the Cold War, Morocco remained officially non-aligned. Strategic Air Command Base at Ben Guérir as a transoceanic abort landing site for NASA's space shuttles during emergencies. In return, the Moroccan authorities signed a secret agreement permitting the United States to maintain powerful radio transmitters near Tangier, which served as communication and spying tools in the western Mediterranean.
President Clinton flew to Rabat in July 1999 to attend King Hassan II's funeral, and to meet the son who succeeded him, King Mohammed VI. Upon taking the throne, King Mohammed VI made it quite clear that he wanted to continue his nation's centuries-old friendship with the United States.
21st Century Cooperation
In the 21st century, both countries have become close allies in the global "war on terror". Morocco was among the first Arab and Islamic states to denounce the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States and declare solidarity with the American people in fighting terrorism. After the September 11 attacks, Morocco has been instrumental in supporting the United States. For example, King Mohammed VI presided over a mass service in support of the victims of the September 11 attacks. Additionally, security cooperation between the two countries is well developed.
Morocco and the United States coordinated efforts to minimize threats and expand cooperation on nuclear incident response in January 2010. On December 22, 2009, the United States government awarded Lockheed Martin an $841.9 million contract to complete the production of 24 F-16 aircraft for Morocco.
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Strategic Realignment in North Africa
As Western influence in the Sahel has eroded across military and diplomatic fronts, Morocco and Mauritania are emerging as stable North African anchors, offering strategic geographical positioning, political steadiness, and discreet but sustained security cooperation. Rather than continuing to deal with unstable partners or fragmented regional frameworks, Washington should pivot to a perimeter strategy, anchored not in the Sahel itself, but along its northern edge. The collapse of the Sahel engagement model is now a fact, not a forecast.
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Though not formally aligned, the countries coordinate discreetly on shared border management, including through joint military commission meetings and intelligence coordination concerning trafficking and extremist infiltration from the Sahel. Their partnership also spans infrastructure, including transport corridors and electricity interconnections, as well as training, and energy cooperation. That autonomy plan is now endorsed by 116 U.N. members.
The African Lion Exercise
African Lion 25 (AL25) demonstrates the enduring strategic military partnership between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States. AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, takes place from April 14 to May 23, 2025. Led by USAFRICOM with over 10,000 troops from more than 50 nations, including seven NATO allies, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia. This year’s Morocco-based activities include field training exercises (FTX), a planning exercise (PLANEX), and live-fire drills, along with humanitarian and academic exchanges focused on enhancing multinational coordination and operational effectiveness.
"Morocco is a strategic partner that for the last 21 years has been the primary host for Exercise African Lion, their steadfast support, multinational inclusion, and unwavering support make the exercise successful year after year." said Army Maj. Jonathan F. Alvis, SETAF-AF logistics planner for AL25 in Morocco.
During African Lion 2025 (AL25), U.S. and Moroccan medical teams sharpened their aeromedical evacuation capabilities during an intensive week-long training. "The rigorous training scenarios we face in African Lion 25 push us to our limits, ensuring we're prepared for the complexities of real-world operations,” said Lt. Gen. Jason Hinds, USAFE-AFAFRICA deputy commander.
The air show and discussions highlight the strategic partnership between the United States and Morocco, which is rooted in hundreds of years of shared interests in regional peace, security and prosperity and a longstanding commitment to continued cooperation.
US Air Force aircraft at the Marrakech Airshow.
Potential Relocation of US Military Bases
Heightening tensions between Washington and Madrid over Spain’s defense spending has reignited speculation that the United States could relocate its major military bases from southern Spain to Morocco, Reuters reported. Trump’s comments revived a proposal first floated by former US National Security Council official Robert Greenway, suggesting that Washington could shift its naval and air assets from Spain to Morocco if relations with Madrid deteriorate further. If implemented, the US naval base in Rota and the air base in Morón de la Frontera would be impacted. Both bases are cornerstones of America’s military presence in the Mediterranean. Relocating these operations to Morocco, a long-standing US security partner, would deepen defense ties with Rabat, which already hosts frequent joint exercises and has been modernizing its military infrastructure.
Morocco's Atlantic Initiative
In 2023, Morocco launched its Atlantic Initiative, a regional framework intended to open maritime access for landlocked Sahel countries through ports like Dakhla. Momentum behind this initiative grew in April, when King Mohammed VI hosted the foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in Rabat. The Sahelian states formally endorsed Morocco’s offer to provide Atlantic port access through Dakhla and other coastal infrastructure.
Rather than lead or step back entirely, Washington can support the initiative by helping streamline border and customs procedures, strengthen corridor governance, and reduce investment risks through targeted development finance.
| Area of Cooperation | Details |
|---|---|
| Counterterrorism | Joint efforts to prevent terrorist attacks, intelligence sharing, and security cooperation. |
| Military Exercises | Annual exercises like African Lion to enhance multinational coordination and operational effectiveness. |
| Nuclear Security | Cooperation to minimize threats and expand cooperation on nuclear incident response. |
| Economic Development | Morocco's Atlantic Initiative to open maritime access for landlocked Sahel countries. |
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