Wall Street Journal: Sudan Rejects Iran's Proposal to Build Military Base

According to a senior Sudanese intelligence official, the Islamic Republic of Iran made an unsuccessful attempt to pressure Sudan into allowing the establishment of a permanent naval base on the shores of the Red Sea in this African country. The American newspaper Wall Street Journal wrote that such an action would allow the Iranian government to monitor maritime traffic in the Suez Canal and the entry and exit of ships to and from it and Israel. This report comes as the Islamic Republic is assisting the Houthi rebels in Yemen to attack commercial ships in the Red Sea. If Sudan had allowed the Islamic Republic to establish a new base there, the Islamic Republic would have increased its control over this waterway. Ahmed Hassan Mohammed, the intelligence advisor to the Sudanese military leader, stated that the Iranian government provided the Sudanese army with explosive drones for use in the battle against a rebel warlord and suggested that if Sudan granted permission for this base, a warship carrying a helicopter would be provided to the country. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mohammed said, 'The Iranians said they wanted to use this base for intelligence gathering.' He added, 'They also wanted to station warships there.' This Sudanese intelligence official mentioned that Khartoum rejected Iran's proposal to avoid upsetting the United States and Israel. The Wall Street Journal noted that the spokesperson for the Iranian representation at the United Nations in New York declined to comment on this report. Sudan had close relations with the Islamic Republic and Hamas during the rule of Omar al-Bashir. After Bashir was ousted in the 2019 coup, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the military government, began to establish closer ties with the United States in an effort to end international sanctions. He also moved towards normalizing relations with Israel. Ahmed Hassan Mohammed stated, 'Sudan purchased drones from Iran because we needed more precise weapons to reduce casualties and respect international humanitarian law.' According to regional officials and analysts, these explosive drones helped Burhan compensate for his military defeats against the forces known as the 'Rapid Support Forces.' In recent weeks, the Sudanese government has regained control of important areas in Khartoum and Omdurman, its twin city across the Nile. The Biden administration has accused both the Sudanese army and the 'Rapid Support Forces' of committing war crimes. The United States claims that the 'Rapid Support Forces' have also committed crimes against humanity, including murder, sexual assault, and ethnic cleansing in the Darfur region of western Sudan. UN officials have criticized Sudan for airstrikes on civilian neighborhoods and for depriving Sudanese civilians of access to humanitarian aid. UN agencies have also accused the 'Rapid Support Forces' of crimes, including ethnically motivated attacks in Darfur. The Sudanese army and the 'Rapid Support Forces' have denied the accusations from the United States and the UN. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the Egyptian government has also provided drones to the Sudanese government and trained Sudanese forces to use them. The United Arab Emirates has also been accused of sending military aid to the 'Rapid Support Forces,' an accusation they have denied. Earlier in March, AFP reported that, in addition to the UAE, Russian Wagner mercenaries have also been accused of collaborating with the 'Rapid Support Forces.' That report stated that Washington has expressed concern over reported shipments of weapons from Iran to the Sudanese army. See also: The U.S. expressed concern over the shipment of Iranian-made weapons to Sudan.