A year into Sudan’s brutal civil war, a senior Sudanese military source told Reuters that Iranian-made military drones have turned the tide. They claim the drones have halted the opposing forces’ advance and even allowed the army to retake territory around the capital.
According to the same report, six anonymous Iranian sources, along with local officials and diplomats, confirmed to Reuters that the Sudanese army has been using Iranian regime drones for several months.
This bloody conflict began a year ago between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia led by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the country’s former deputy leader.
The presence of Iranian regime drones in Sudan has been previously reported by Bloomberg and Sudanese media.
Renewed Ties and Official Denials
Sudan and Iran’s regime resumed diplomatic relations last year. Previously, close ties existed, but these were strained when Sudan joined the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. This led to a severing of ties in 2016.
Sudan’s acting foreign minister, Ali Sadegh, who is aligned with the military, denied receiving any Iranian regime weapons, including drones, when questioned by Reuters.
Iran regime’s Foreign Ministry and Sudan’s media office did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
The RSF’s Perspective and Iran’s Motives
While acknowledging setbacks in some areas, the RSF claims the Sudanese army is using Iranian regime drones and other weapons based on their intelligence gathering.
Iranian sources speaking to Reuters stated that supporting the Sudanese army aims to strengthen strategic relations with the country. They identified the drones as Ababil and Mohajer models, manufactured by Iranian regime defense ministry companies.
Humanitarian Crisis and International Attention
The civil war in Sudan has caused thousands of casualties and displaced many people.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan leads the Sudanese army, while General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti) commands the RSF.
International media coverage of the Sudanese civil war, which began last April, has been limited.
A History of Shifting Alliances
In 2019, following nationwide protests, the Sudanese army and RSF militias joined forces with the protestors to overthrow Omar al-Bashir’s government.
During al-Bashir’s three decades in power, Sudan maintained good relations with Iran’s regime. However, these ties were severed in 2016, and Sudan shifted towards closer cooperation with Iran regime’s regional rivals in the Persian Gulf.
Sudan’s strategic location on the Red Sea has long attracted the attention and competition of major world powers.
