Sudan has increasingly become a focal point in Iran’s regional strategy, amplifying Tehran’s capacity to project power through terror networks and proxy forces across the Middle East and Africa. For Israel and its security partners, this development has direct security ramifications, as Sudan’s territory serves as a vital conduit for Iranian arms, financing, and operational support to extremist groups including Hamas and Hezbollah.
Lede: Iranian Entrenchment in Sudan
Iran, through its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has made significant strides in embedding its influence within Sudan’s military and political systems. The IRGC’s presence in Sudan includes the establishment of weapons factories, the training of militant cadres, and the creation of covert supply routes that channel advanced weaponry to terror organizations in Gaza and Lebanon. Intelligence sources in Israel and the West corroborate that these activities have accelerated in recent years, posing persistent threats to Israel’s safety and broader regional equilibrium.
Historical Background: A Strategic Partnership
Iranian involvement in Sudan can be traced back to the late 1980s, following Sudan’s Islamist revolution. Sudan’s alignment with Iran gave the IRGC a strategic foothold on the Red Sea, facilitating shipments of rockets, drones, and other military equipment destined for Gaza and southern Lebanon. U.S., Israeli, and international intelligence agencies have documented this evolving partnership, noting its critical role in proliferating weapons that have later been used in attacks against Israeli civilian and military targets.
Israeli airstrikes in Sudan between 2009 and 2014, publicly acknowledged by Jerusalem, targeted weapons convoys and storage facilities linked to Iran, underscoring Israel’s commitment to preempting strategic threats. These operations revealed the scale and sophistication of the Iran–Sudan arms network, prompting calls for greater international scrutiny.
Sudan’s Evolving Role: Arms Pipelines and Training Grounds
Recent intelligence assessments detail how Iranian operatives have embedded themselves within Sudanese security institutions, ensuring uninterrupted arms transfers despite regime changes. Advanced missile components and drones are moved through Sudanese ports and overland routes to Sinai and onward to terror groups in Gaza. The IRGC and its proxies have also used Sudan as a training ground for militants, contributing to the operational capabilities of organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad.
Sudan’s lengthy Red Sea coastline and porous borders complicate efforts to interdict these shipments, presenting a persistent challenge to Israeli and Western security agencies. The IRGC’s utilization of Sudanese territory enables Iran to adapt its tactics, even as international interdiction efforts increase.
Shifting Diplomatic Dynamics: Opportunities and Risks
Sudan’s 2020 agreement to normalize relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords was initially seen as a major setback for Iranian strategy. However, the country’s ongoing domestic instability, marked by military coups and political infighting, has created openings for the IRGC to reestablish influence. Security experts caution that Iran’s networks within Sudan’s security sector could regain prominence if Khartoum’s political crisis continues, threatening to undermine normalization efforts and regional counterterror operations.
Security Implications for Israel and Allies
For Israel, Iran’s activities in Sudan are emblematic of the broader struggle against state-sponsored terrorism. The unprecedented Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, highlighted the real-world consequences of Iranian support flowing through Sudanese channels. Israeli officials, including Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, emphasize the importance of neutralizing these supply chains to prevent future atrocities and protect Israeli civilians.
Israeli and Western intelligence cooperation has intensified around interdicting Iranian weapon shipments via Sudan, with efforts focused on satellite monitoring, human intelligence, and regional security alliances. U.S. and European naval operations in the Red Sea also play an increasing role in attempting to disrupt these routes.
Broader Regional Context: Red Sea Security and African Instability
Sudan’s strategic location links the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and the Middle East, making it a critical node for both trade and security. Iran’s use of Sudan as a logistics base enables it to foment instability not just in Gaza and Lebanon, but also across Africa and the wider Middle East. Money laundering, technological collaboration, and intelligence exchanges in Sudan further empower Iran’s terror proxy network, threatening U.S., European, and Arab partners.
Observers caution that the real risk lies in Iran’s capacity to adjust and expand its operations wherever state security is lacking—whether in Sudan, Syria, or elsewhere. Effective counterterrorism requires robust intelligence-sharing, local engagement, and the political will to counter Iranian subversion at its source.
Outlook and Conclusion: Vigilance and International Cooperation
Sudan’s future remains uncertain. While rapprochement with Israel and engagement with the West offer a path out of isolation, the IRGC’s entrenched networks and Sudan’s internal instability mean that Tehran’s shadow remains. Israel continues to work with regional and global partners to contain and disrupt Iranian activities, recognizing that vigilance, strategic clarity, and factual reporting are key tools in the ongoing war against terror.
Iran’s strategy in Sudan demonstrates the adaptive nature of its threat. As the region evolves, sustained diplomatic, intelligence, and defensive efforts are required to ensure that Iranian-backed terror does not again find sanctuary on the Red Sea, endangering millions and undermining peace throughout the Middle East.
