Iran–Sudan relations refers to diplomatic, economic and military relations between
Sudan
Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
and
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. For nearly three decades, Iran and Sudan enjoyed a close relationship.
[
Sudan and Iran severed diplomatic ties in the 2010s due to their opposing sides in the ]Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
Iran and Saudi Arabia are engaged in a proxy conflict over influence in the Middle East and other regions of the Muslim world. The two countries have provided varying degrees of support to opposing sides in nearby conflicts, including the civil wa ...
, but restored them as Iran supported Sudanese armed forces
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF; ) are the military forces of the Republic of the Sudan. The force strength has been estimated at personnel in 2011 (by IISS), 200,000 personnel before the current war in Sudan broke out in 2023 (by the CIA), and ...
in the civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. In July 2024, Tehran and Khartoum have reestablished diplomatic ties after seven years. Sudan received Iran's new ambassador and designated its own envoy to Tehran. This renewal initiates a new chapter in their relations, highlighted by Sudan's recent visit to Iran to acquire drones.
History
Sudan maintained good relations with the Pahlavi Iran
The Imperial State of Iran, officially known as the Imperial State of Persia until 1935, and commonly referred to as Pahlavi Iran, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty. The Pahlavi dynasty was created in 1925 and lasted ...
, securing a number of loans during the period prior to the Iranian revolution. Following the revolution, Sudan, led by pro-West Gaafar Nimeiry
Gaafar Muhammad an-Nimeiry (otherwise spelled in English as Gaafar Nimeiry, Jaafar Nimeiry, or Ja'far Muhammad Numayri; ; 1 January 193030 May 2009) was a Sudanese military officer and politician who served as the fourth president of Sudan, hea ...
, supported Iraq in its war with Iran, in line with Arab League policy. Sudan's Prime Minister Sadiq al Mahdi made an official visit to Tehran in the late 1980s thus establishing ties with the Islamic Republic. Following the Islamist-supported military coup led by Omar al-Bashir
Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir (born 1 January 1944) is a Sudanese former military officer and politician who served as Head of state of Sudan, Sudan's head of state under various titles from 1989 until 2019, when he was deposed in 2019 Sudanese c ...
, Sudan sought close relations with Iran. The growing ties help continue the Islamisation
The spread of Islam spans almost 1,400 years. The early Muslim conquests that occurred following the death of Muhammad in 632 CE led to the creation of the caliphates, expanding over a vast geographical area; conversion to Islam was boosted ...
of Sudan. In the post-Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
era, Sudan remains Iran's closest ally in Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
. Sudan was for years the only African state ruled by Islamists.[ The two states, despite the "Sunni-Shiite divide" quickly became close allies.] Sudan had a long, if inconsistent, relationship with Iran, which deteriorated when Sudan supported Iraq during the 1990–91 Gulf War but began to improve by the mid-1990s.[ Though published in 2015, this work covers events in the whole of Sudan (including present-day South Sudan) until the 2011 secession of South Sudan.] In 1991, Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Akbar Hashemi Bahramani Rafsanjani (25 August 19348 January 2017) was an Iranian cleric, politician and writer who served as the fourth president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. One of the founding fathers of the Islamic Republic, Rafsanjani was the ...
made an official visit to Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan.
Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...
, accompanied by more than 150 Iranian officials." He declared the "Islamic Revolution of Sudan, alongside Iran's pioneer revolution, can doubtless be the source of movement and revolution throughout the Islamic world." Sudanese–Iranian interaction increased significantly in 2004. The two countries signed a memorandum on security cooperation, and Sudan stressed Iran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. During the eighth session of the Iran–Sudan joint economic commission, the two sides agreed to increase technical, educational, and research cooperation in the agricultural sector. Iranian president Muhammad Khatami, during a visit to Sudan in October 2004, supported Khartoum's controversial handling of the Darfur crisis and signed bilateral cooperation agreements on economic, agricultural, and banking issues. As Iran became an increasingly important actor in the Middle East, Sudan increased its interaction with Tehran. Al-Bashir visited Iran in April 2006. Sudan's defense minister discussed Iranian weapons sales and training for Khartoum's security forces during a visit to Tehran in January 2007. Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Khartoum in February 2007, when he voiced strong support for Sudan and signed seven agreements. There continued to be high-level contact between Sudan and Iran. Sunni Sudan did not find forging close relations with Shia Iran an insuperable difficulty, and as of 2011 Sudan was arguably Iran's closest friend in Africa.
However, Sudan decided to expel all Iranian groups just hours before joining a Saudi military operation in Yemen in March 2015 as the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir
Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir (born 1 January 1944) is a Sudanese former military officer and politician who served as Head of state of Sudan, Sudan's head of state under various titles from 1989 until 2019, when he was deposed in 2019 Sudanese c ...
at the time was said to be calculating in favour of his fragile economy, in addition to the trauma and horror which struck the Sudanese society when seeing its best and brightest joining the Islamic State
The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...
(ISIS), generating a huge public alarm about regional security. The emotional component of protecting Saudi Arabia and walking back to the (Arab house) unfolded dramatically in Arab media. On January 4, 2016, Sudan cut off all diplomatic relations with Iran due to tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. As a result, the bond between both countries has severely soured. Once allies, both countries were once listed by the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
as "State Sponsors of Terrorism
"State Sponsors of Terrorism" is a designation applied to countries that are alleged to have "repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism" per the United States Department of State. Inclusion on the list enables the United St ...
", although Sudan was removed from the list in December 2020 following its accession to the Abraham Accords
The Abraham Accords are bilateral agreements on Arab–Israeli normalization signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain on September 15, 2020. Mediated by the United States, the announcement of August ...
. According to the U.S. Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...
, Iran remains a state sponsor of terror.
Contemporary era
Cultural and diplomatic ties under Omar al-Bashir
During the last week of April 2006, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir
Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir (born 1 January 1944) is a Sudanese former military officer and politician who served as Head of state of Sudan, Sudan's head of state under various titles from 1989 until 2019, when he was deposed in 2019 Sudanese c ...
met with a number of Iranian public figures in Tehran, including the Supreme Leader
A supreme leader or supreme ruler typically refers to powerful figures with an unchallenged authority, such as autocrats, dictators to spiritual and revolutionary leaders. Historic examples are Adolf Hitler () of Nazi Germany, Francisco ...
Ali Khamenei
Ali Hosseini Khamenei (; born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He previously served as the third President of Iran, president from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei's tenure ...
and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (born Mahmoud Sabbaghian on 28 October 1956) is an Iranian Iranian principlists, principlist and Iranian nationalism, nationalist politician who served as the sixth president of Iran from 2005 to 2013. He is currently a mem ...
. In a joint news conference with al-Bashir on 24 April, Ahmadinejad explained to the public his belief that "expansion of ties between the two countries serves the interests of both nations, the region, and the Islamic world, particularly in terms of boosting peace and stability." Before the conference ended, al-Bashir congratulated Iran for its successful pursuit of "nuclear power for peaceful purposes," while Ahmadinejad restated his opposition to the participation of UN Peacekeeper
Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role of the United Nations's Department of Peace Operations and an "instrument developed by the organization as a way to help countries torn by conflict to create the conditions for lasting peace". It is ...
s in Darfur
Darfur ( ; ) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju () while ruled by the Daju, who migrated from Meroë , and it was renamed Dartunjur () when the Tunjur ruled the area. ...
.
President Omar-al Bashir visited Iran in July 2011 and President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (born Mahmoud Sabbaghian on 28 October 1956) is an Iranian Iranian principlists, principlist and Iranian nationalism, nationalist politician who served as the sixth president of Iran from 2005 to 2013. He is currently a mem ...
visited Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan.
Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...
in September 2011 to discuss "strategic regional and international dimensions."
In October 2011, Ahmadinejad stated that Iran–Sudan relations are founded on "Common Islamic values." Bashir later stated Sudan would adopt an exclusive Islamic constitution and strengthen Islamic law in the government.
Two Iranian warships docked in Port Sudan on 8 December 2012, marking the second port call by the Iranian navy in Sudan in five weeks. The Iranian navy announced that the 1,400-ton frigate ''Jamaran'' and the 4,700-ton support ship ''Bushehr'' “docked in Port Sudan, after successfully carrying out their assignments in the Red Sea and were greeted by high-ranking Sudanese naval commanders.”["Iranian warships dock in Sudan, sparking Israeli concern"](_blank)
''Al Arabiya News'', 9 December 2012
Sudanese army spokesman Sawarmi Khaled Saad had initially announced the warship visit for Nov. 30, stating that the port call was “a part of diplomatic and military exchanges between the two countries,” and would last for three days.
Previously, a pair of Iranian navy vessels, the supply ship ''Kharg'' and corvette ''Admiral Naghdi'', spent about two days at Port Sudan in late October 2012.
Deterioration of relations since 2015
However, since 2014, as for the result of growing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the feeling of return to the Arab house, and growing Iranian influence in the country threatens its Sunni domination, Sudan decided to close all Iranian cultural centers and expelled the Iranian officials and ambassador from the country. It was later followed by Sudan's participation in the Yemeni war against Houthis
The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, is a Zaydism, Zaydi Shia Islamism, Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. It is predominantly made up of Zaydi Shias, with their namesake leadersh ...
and received aids from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, in exchange for lifting sanctions on Sudan by the United States.
In 2016, following the attack on Saudi embassy by Iranian protesters, Sudan cut off relations with Iran, souring relations between two countries.
In 2020, Sudan began the process of normalisation with Israel. This was criticized by Iran, where the Iranian government accused Sudan of "paying ransom".
During the Sudanese Civil War
Since July 2023, Sudan's foreign ministry has discussed restoring relations "as soon as possible." This move came after the Iranian Red Crescent had supplied humanitarian aid during the conflict in Sudan. In October, Iran and Sudan agreed to restore diplomatic relations and open embassies after a meeting between their foreign ministers.
In July 2024, de facto ruler of Sudan Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Abdelrahman al-Burhan (; born 11 July 1960) is a Sudanese army general who has been the ''de facto'' List of heads of state of Sudan, leader of Sudan since 2019. Following the Sudanese revolution, Sudanese Revolution in Ap ...
received an Iranian ambassador in Port Sudan
Port Sudan (, Beja: ) is a port city on the Red Sea in eastern Sudan, and the capital of Red Sea State. Port Sudan is Sudan's main seaport and the source of 90% of the country's international trade. The population of Port Sudan was estimated in ...
, the de facto capital of Sudan at the time due to fighting in the capital city Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan.
Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...
, in the Sudanese civil war The term Sudanese Civil War refers to at least three separate conflicts in Sudan in Northeast Africa:
*First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972)
*Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005)
*Sudanese civil war (2023–present)
It could also refer to other ...
. In return, the Iranian foreign ministry
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral re ...
received a Sudanese ambassador in the capital city of Tehran
Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
. This was the first time the two countries exchanged ambassadors in eight years.
Economic relations
In 1991, evidence of increasing economic and military links between Sudan and Iran was revealed. High-level Iranian leaders have made numerous visits to Sudan, during which a trade agreement between the two countries had been established. Iran reportedly supplied Sudan with one million tons of oil each year.
Ideological and educational outreach
Beyond military cooperation, Iran is employing soft power strategies to deepen its influence in Sudan. This includes establishing educational institutions aimed at promoting Shiite ideology and strengthening ties with local communities. Such initiatives are part of Iran's broader effort to expand its ideological reach in Africa.
Military relations
In November 1993, Iran was reported to have financed Sudan's purchase of some 20 Chinese
Chinese may refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China.
**'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
ground-attack aircraft. Iran pledged 17 million in financial aid to the Sudanese government, and arranged for $300 million in Chinese arms to be delivered to the Sudanese army.[A Deadly Love Triangle http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/401vcvba.asp ]
It was reported that Iran sent up to 2,000 Iranian Revolutionary Guards to Sudan. Iranian Defense Minister Ali Akbar Torkan met with the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF; ) are the military forces of the Republic of the Sudan. The force strength has been estimated at personnel in 2011 (by IISS), 200,000 personnel before the current war in Sudan broke out in 2023 (by the CIA), and ...
to negotiate further military assistance. Sudan has since modeled its army after Iran's Revolutionary Guards, who had trained them.
In 1995, a military delegation from Iran visited Khartoum to assess Sudan's military needs. Iran provided Sudan with armored cars, heavy artillery, and radar equipment. In the following year, the two countries signed an agreement to broaden the scope of their cooperation.
In April 1996 the Government was reported to be granting the Iranian navy
The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN; ), also referred as the Iranian Navy (abbreviated NEDAJA; ), is the naval warfare service branch of Iran's regular military, the Islamic Republic of Iran Army (''Artesh''). It is one of Iran's two maritim ...
the use of marine facilities in exchange for financial assistance for the purchase of arms although, in response to a Sudanese request for military aid in 1997, Iran provided assistance only with military maintenance. The West has expressed deep concern over the growing military ties between Sudan and Iran. Sudan has been implicated in training at least 10 paramilitary camps in collaboration with the Iranian military and Iran-backed terrorist groups. By 1993, the U.S. Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...
named Sudan a state sponsor of terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism is terrorist violence carried out with the active support of national governments provided to violent non-state actors. It contrasts with ''state terrorism'', which is carried out directly by state actors.
States can s ...
.
In 2008, Sudan and Iran signed a military cooperation agreement. The agreement was signed by Iran's Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar
Mostafa Mohammad Najjar (, born 2 December 1956) is an Iranian politician and retired IRGC general. He was interior minister of Iran from 2009 to 2013 and Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics in the first cabinet of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ...
and his Sudanese counterpart Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein.
During the 2011 Libyan civil war
The Libyan civil war, also known as the First Libyan Civil War and Libyan Revolution, was an armed conflict in 2011 in the North African country of Libya that was fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and rebel groups that were ...
, Western intelligence agencies reported Iran's Quds Force
The Quds Force () is one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It specializes in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. U.S. Army's Iraq War General Stanley McChrystal describes the Quds Fo ...
stole dozens of Russian-made surface-to-air missiles from Libya and smuggled them across the border into Sudan. According to the reports, the weapons included SA-24 missiles, which were sold to Libya in 2004. Intelligence officials also believe that other weapons were seized from Gaddafi and are now held at a secret facility run by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in Northern Darfur.
In a leaked document from summer 2014, the ties between Iran and Sudan are described as being “strategic”, “military” and “defensive”. General Siddiq Amer, Director General of Intelligence and Security, - “Iran is our biggest ally in the region, in terms of cooperation in the areas of intelligence and military industrial production.” General Abd al-Rahim Mohammed Husein, Minister of Defence, said: “ All the advancement in our military industry is from Iran. They opened the doors of their stores of weapons for us, at a time the Arabs stood against us. The Iranian support came when we were fighting a rebellion that spread in all directions including the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The Iranians provided us with experts and they trained our M.I. ilitary Intelligenceand security cadres. They also trained us in weapons production and transferred to us modern technology in the military production industry. There is one full battalion of the Republican Guards still with us here and other experts who are constructing interception and spying bases in order to protect us, plus an advanced Air Defense system. They built for us Kenana and Jebel Awliya Air bases.” The Kenana Air base is likely situated south of the city of Rabak (White Nile State), near the Kenana Sugar Company facilities. The minutes reveal that Sudan has also provided weapons to the Houthis
The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, is a Zaydism, Zaydi Shia Islamism, Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. It is predominantly made up of Zaydi Shias, with their namesake leadersh ...
(a Shia insurgent group) operating in Yemen
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
.[
General Husein revealed that the Kenana Air Base has been used for the transit of Iranian weapons. BM missile launchers and their rockets stored in Kenana and part sold to ]Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
to support Libya fighters. Husein's words thus confirmed Libya's recent denunciation of Khartoum's logistical support to the Libya Dawn Militias.
Since reestablishing diplomatic ties with Sudan in October 2023 after a seven-year hiatus, Iran has supplied the SAF with advanced weaponry, notably Mohajer-6 and Ababil drones. These drones have been instrumental in recent SAF offensives, including the recapture of key areas in Khartoum and Omdurman
Omdurman () is a major city in Sudan. It is the second most populous city in the country, located in the State of Khartoum. Omdurman lies on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and northwest of the capital city of Khartoum. The city acts ...
. Iran has also provided intelligence support and facilitated the training of new SAF recruits, some reportedly trained in Uganda.
See also
* Foreign relations of Iran
Geography is an important factor in informing Iran's foreign policy. Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the newly formed Islamic Republic, under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, dramatically reversed the pro-American foreign policy of ...
* Foreign relations of Sudan
The foreign relations of Sudan are generally in line with the Muslim Arab world, but are also based on Sudan's economic ties with the People's Republic of China and Russia.
Diplomatic relations
List of countries which Sudan maintains diplomati ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iran-Sudan Relations
Sudan
Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
Bilateral relations of Sudan