Spain loses control: Morocco dominates Gibraltar Strait strategy
Once an undeniable strategic power, Spain is watching its maritime and diplomatic influence collapse. The state is gradually ceding geopolitical control of the Strait of Gibraltar to a Morocco experiencing full economic and port expansion.
Spain historically played a geopolitical pivot role thanks to its position controlling the Strait of Gibraltar. Yet in March 2022, the Iberian government validated Morocco’s position on the Sahara, upending half a century of diplomatic doctrine. This spectacular reversal followed the irregular entry of 10,000 people into Ceuta in 2021 and coincides with the discovery of espionage operations targeting the Spanish executive. Simultaneously, Madrid degraded its relations with the United States and Israel by prohibiting military flights and port calls, a choice isolating the country on the international stage.
On Bladi.net : article 120700
On the commercial front, Moroccan competition becomes overwhelming. According to detailed analysis by Militares Escritores, the Royal Atlantic Initiative launched by Morocco in 2023 aims to connect Africa, Europe and America via massive port infrastructure like Tanger Med or Dakhla Atlantique. This expansion strategy resulted in Marsa Maroc acquiring 45% of shares in a subsidiary of Spanish group Boluda, offering the kingdom direct presence in nine Iberian ports. As a consequence of this governmental inertia, facilities on the southern shore of the strait will record cargo traffic exceeding that of Algeciras.
This foreign dynamism contrasts sharply with the decline of the national fleet. In 1985, the Spanish merchant marine had 601 commercial vessels. In 2025, the official registry counts only 84, without a single active container ship under national flag. The fishing sector collapses in similar proportions, plummeting from over 20,000 boats in 1989 to just 8,549 units. Logistical sovereignty also erodes on the docks, crucial terminals in Valencia, Bilbao and Barcelona now under quasi-exclusive management of Chinese capital.
On Bladi.net : Dakhla Atlantique: the Moroccan port that seriously worries the Canary Islands
Finally, Spain accumulates setbacks on direct territorial sovereignty. The Gibraltar colony expands by usurping Spanish maritime space to build an airport and conduct regular naval supply operations without firm opposition. Further south, the country maintains control of Saharan airspace from the Canary Islands, but potential loss of this competence would dangerously expose the archipelago. Control of underwater wealth also fuels tensions, with Madrid and Rabat actively disputing Tropic Mount, a zone rich in cobalt and tellurium.
