HIBAPRESS – Follow-up
The French magazine Jeune Afrique revealed what it described as a remarkable shift in Algeria's position towards Iran, in light of the recent military escalation in the region and the accompanying American and Israeli strikes that targeted Iranian officials.
The magazine mentioned that Algeria, which was previously considered one of the most prominent supporters of the Iranian regime, surprised observers by avoiding condemnation of the strikes launched by the United States and Israel on Iran, while expressing solidarity with a number of Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, against the backdrop of the Iranian attacks that targeted several Gulf countries. The magazine pointed out that on the third day of the conflict, the rapid developments pushed Algeria to declare its solidarity with the Arab countries affected by the Iranian attacks, including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, which observers considered an indication of a divergence in positions between Algeria and Tehran despite the strong relations that had brought them together for years. The report drew attention to two main elements in the Algerian Foreign Ministry's statement; the first is that Algeria did not explicitly denounce the American and Israeli strikes, which, according to the magazine, resulted in the killing of about forty Iranian officials, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The second element is the absence of any condemnation or expression of regret for the killing of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who had previously made two official visits to Algeria in 2007 and 2010 during the era of the late President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. In the same context, the magazine indicated that the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Attaf, received the ambassadors of the affected Gulf countries, confirming his country's full solidarity with them. The magazine believes that this shift in the Algerian position may also be related to international political calculations, including the concerns associated with relations with the American administration led by Donald Trump, which prompted Algeria, according to the report, to rearrange its strategic priorities in light of the escalating regional tensions.
