ADDIS ABABA—In a development signaling Iran’s expanding political and security ambitions across Africa, Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Radan, chief of Iranian police, arrived in Addis Ababa this week to meet with Ethiopian officials and sign a bilateral security cooperation agreement. The visit and ensuing agreement, publicized by Iranian and Ethiopian authorities, underscore Tehran’s ongoing efforts to establish and strengthen alliances throughout the continent, even as it faces strategic isolation due to US-led sanctions and growing international scrutiny over its role in regional and global terrorism.
The visit, hosted at senior governmental and security levels, was characterized by both parties as an initiative to drive closer law enforcement cooperation. Official statements emphasized agreements on joint police training, information-sharing on organized crime, and coordination in combatting narcotics trafficking. However, analysts and Israeli officials have voiced concern that closer Iranian security partnerships in the Horn of Africa could provide the Islamic Republic—including its notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—with new channels to advance its hostile operations and expand its reach into Africa’s security apparatuses.
Africa: Tehran’s New Frontier
Iran’s outreach to Africa has intensified notably since international sanctions began restricting the Islamic Republic’s economic and diplomatic avenues. Tehran has shifted efforts to the continent, recognizing opportunities to circumvent sanctions, build economic networks, and nurture political alliances that may benefit its global ambitions—particularly in the context of Israel’s ongoing war against Iranian-backed terror proxies.
Over the past two decades, Iran’s involvement in Africa has included economic partnerships, cultural exchanges, and, increasingly, security agreements. These ties allow Tehran access to new markets while potentially leveraging diplomatic relations to shield illicit activity. As seen in Sudan, Nigeria, and now Ethiopia, Iranian entities have sought relationships that blend civilian and security elements, sometimes creating conditions for the logistical support of proxy operations and weapons smuggling.
Regional Implications and Israeli Concerns
Ethiopia’s geographical and political significance, as Africa’s second-most populous country and home to the African Union’s headquarters, makes it an attractive Iranian partner. Security experts note that the strategic proximity to the Red Sea and fragile states such as Somalia and Sudan adds special weight to any external security arrangements. Israel, maintaining valuable intelligence and security channels in Ethiopia, is highly sensitive to the possibility of Iranian or IRGC infiltration that could threaten Israeli security interests along critical maritime and regional corridors.
According to Israeli intelligence officials and independent analysts, Ethiopia’s decision to pursue open security ties with Iran introduces new risks, including the potential for advanced Iranian surveillance, subversion, and proxy coordination. The Ethiopian government, facing international criticism over human rights and ethnic conflict, is also seen to be strategically balancing its foreign partnerships for leverage.
The Broader Geopolitical Context: Iranian Proxies and the War Against Israel
Since the October 7, 2023 massacre in southern Israel—the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust—Iran has coordinated a broad campaign against Israel through terror organizations including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and affiliated militias in Syria and Iraq. Iranian policy as articulated by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the IRGC openly calls for Israel’s destruction, supplying these groups with financing, arms, and operational guidance.
Given this context, any deepening of Iran’s security cooperation with African states is closely monitored by Israel, the United States, and their partners. The Red Sea’s vital importance for Israeli shipping—and recent Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on international maritime traffic—amplifies concern over Iranian logistical access or support in adjacent states such as Ethiopia.
Security Cooperation Details
While public announcements on the Iran-Ethiopia agreement avoid discussion of covert operations, available details suggest a focus on joint training, intelligence sharing, and technical law enforcement support, traditionally areas where the IRGC and other Iranian agencies have sought dual-use opportunities. Similar arrangements by Iran in Sudan and elsewhere have previously facilitated covert arms trafficking and proxy support, prompting Israel and Western governments to urge their African partners to exercise caution in their dealings with Tehran.
International Response
The United States has indicated concern regarding the expansion of Iranian influence in Africa, particularly where agreements may enable operations hostile to Western or Israeli interests. A State Department spokesperson reiterated that Washington will “closely monitor any partnerships that could abet destabilizing actors or terror financing.”
The experience of African states that previously engaged with Iranian security services—such as Sudan, which eventually realigned with Israel and faced internal instability linked to Iranian activity—offers a cautionary example. Nigerian authorities and other governments have also foiled Iranian-linked terror plots on their soil, reinforcing suspicions surrounding Tehran’s stated intentions.
Looking Ahead: Israel’s Strategy and Regional Balance
In light of the Iran-Ethiopia accord, Israel is expected to enhance its offer of intelligence, development cooperation, and counter-terrorism support to African partners. By building stronger bilateral ties and promoting scrutiny of Iranian agreements, Jerusalem aims to reduce Tehran’s attraction for states seeking new geopolitical leverage or security assistance.
Iran’s engagement with African security apparatuses—including national police, intelligence agencies, and technical ministries—raises the stakes for regional security at a time when the Jewish state is confronting unprecedented multi-front threats from Iranian-backed terror organizations. Officials in Israel and the United States are emphasizing that diplomatic and law enforcement engagements with Tehran cannot be separated from the broader strategy of proxy warfare that has already destabilized large swaths of the Middle East and now threatens to entangle additional regions.
As Iran continues its campaign to break international isolation by forging security agreements across Africa, and as Ethiopia weighs its future orientation, the implications of such partnerships will reverberate far beyond bilateral policing cooperation—shaping the security environment of the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and beyond.
