Washington Post Report on the Role of the Islamic Republic in Igniting the Civil War in Sudan and Arms Transfers via Covert Flights

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, October 17, that weapons secretly supplied by foreign countries to both sides in the Sudan conflict – including munitions and drones sent by the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United Arab Emirates – are fueling the devastating civil war in Sudan. The section regarding Iran in this report, prepared based on confidential assessments funded by the U.S. State Department and evidence gathered from seized weapons in Sudan, states that the Sudanese army has been using foreign armed drones, particularly those secretly provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran, since late last year. The report tracked seven flights between Iran and Sudan from November 2023 to July 2024, revealing that four of these flights were military and returned to the Iranian Air Force base at Tehran Airport. According to the report, three other planes also turned off their transponders upon landing in Iran, indicating that they were likely carrying military cargo. While Sudanese military officials have denied receiving drones from the Iranian government, a Sudanese security official confirmed the report's accuracy in an interview with the Washington Post. The newspaper states that Iranian officials did not respond to requests for comment. The civil war in Sudan began in April 2023 after months of escalating tensions between the army and forces known as the 'Rapid Support Forces.' In addition to the Islamic Republic of Iran and the UAE, countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Russia are closely monitoring developments in Sudan due to its strategic position in the Red Sea, through which about 12% of global shipping passes. Sudan's military leaders normalized relations with Tehran in 2023 after an eight-year break in ties. The report mentions that covert flights from Iran to Sudan began in November of that year, utilizing an aircraft previously identified by the U.S. government as being used for arms shipments to Syrian fighters linked to the Islamic Republic. These flights were operated by the Iranian company 'Fars Air Qeshm,' departing from Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, stopping in Bandar Abbas, and then heading to their destination in Sudan. The report also notes the downing of an Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drone in Khartoum, a ground control station for the Mohajer-6, and significant amounts of Iranian-made artillery and munitions, indicating an increase in identified Iranian weaponry in Sudan. In winter 2020, Sudan recognized Israel through bilateral agreements and normalized relations with it. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, described the regional peace agreements with Israel as a 'normalization gamble' and claimed that this action is 'betting on a losing horse.' U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on October 25 that progress towards peace in the Middle East would position the world more strongly to confront the 'ongoing threat' of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Referring to the war in Sudan, Biden stated that 'the world must stop arming the generals' and added that the generals in Sudan should be told to 'stop the disintegration of your country and end the war now.'