How the US license thwarted the Algerian regime’s gas blockade against Morocco via Spain

The collapse of energy blockade illusions and the abortion of the Algerian regime’s maneuvers

In a scene that clearly reflects the failure of regional blackmail policies, economic diplomacy and international strategic decisions have dealt a new, painful blow to the efforts of the Algerian regime aimed at energy-strangling the Kingdom of Morocco. Since Algeria took the step in late 2021 to cut off gas pumping through the “Maghreb-Europe” pipeline, it has not stopped trying to choke off Moroccan interests, going so far as to make repeated threats against Madrid to prevent any re-export of Algerian molecules to Morocco.

However, the winds did not blow in the direction the El Mouradia Palace desired; all bets on the blockade and attempts at energy suffocation fell apart in the face of the strategic solidity of Moroccan choices, and the Spanish technical commitment to alternative solutions that allowed for the liquefaction of gas imported from global markets and its pumping through the reverse pipeline, leading to the recent American development that has completely redrawn the supply map.

US Decision No. 5473: A strategic lifeline and a sovereign gain

In a qualitative development that reflects the strength of the strategic partnership between Rabat and Washington, the US Department of Energy issued the historic Decision No. 5473 on September 11, 2026. This long-term license, extending until December 31, 2050, gave the company “Sustain Energy LLC” the green light to export up to 1.47 billion cubic meters annually of US liquefied natural gas (LNG).

What stirs the anger of the enemies of territorial integrity and Moroccan sovereignty is the official inclusion of Morocco among the countries eligible to benefit from these massive energy exports, taking advantage of the unique and exemplary free trade agreement that binds it to the United States. This solid legal framework gives Morocco an irreversible strategic option to secure its energy sovereignty, and completely debunks all the illusions and desperate attempts to bring the Moroccan economy to its knees.

The collapse of blackmail policies and the shock in El Mouradia Palace

The Moroccan handling of the gas crisis has demonstrated a superior ability to maneuver and find alternatives. While the Algerian regime was betting on the weapon of cutting off supplies and threatening to impose sanctions on Spain if it thought about helping its neighbor, Moroccan diplomacy was weaving an international safety net based on diversifying partnerships and exploiting free trade agreements.

Today, by virtue of the new US license, Morocco can rely on LNG transported by sea, which is pumped smoothly through Spanish connection networks, thereby bypassing all the restrictions and obstacles that the opponents of unity tried to impose. This transformation confirms beyond any doubt that the policy of energy blackmail has become a burned card, and that Morocco is moving with steady steps towards consolidating its strategic independence at all levels, recording a victory whose dimensions have echoed in regional and international decision-making capitals.