With cease-fire talks for Sudan’s six-month-old conflict set to resume Thursday in Saudi Arabia, Tehran’s recent rapprochement with the North African nation’s army throws a potential wildcard into a crisis already vulnerable to outside interference.
Western powers are concerned a return of Sudan-Iran cooperation after a roughly seven-year pause may see the Sudanese military receive Iranian weapons and expertise in its struggle against the rival Rapid Support Forces, according to foreign officials following the conflict.
The battle for control of Sudan, a resource-rich nation situated on the Red Sea near a choke-point for global shipping, has already killed more than 9,000 people and forced 5.6 million from their homes. Iran backs militant groups ranging from Hamas in Gaza to Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.
Deeper Iranian ties may also definitively end the US-backed prospect of Sudan fully normalizing relations with Israel, an initiative already derailed by the civil war, the people said. They requested anonymity as they aren’t allowed to comment publicly on the issue.
The reforging of relations, which includes a move to reopen embassies shuttered in 2016, come as Western powers try to stop the Israel-Hamas war from spilling over into other Middle Eastern countries, from Lebanon to Iraq, where Iran-aligned forces hold sway.
European Union officials didn’t respond to a request for comment, nor did Iran’s foreign ministry. A US State Department spokesperson said it had "raised our concerns on this with contacts in Sudan’s military government.” The US and partners are united in urging parties to immediately end fighting in Sudan and for the army and RSF to respect international law and human rights and allow unhindered access to aid, the spokesperson said.
Among the worries, the people said, are that Iran may widen its drone program, which according to the US has already supplied Hezbollah, Hamas, Kata’ib Hezbollah in Iraq, the Houthis and Ethiopia’s army.
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