Iranian-Sudanese Relations: Offensive capabilities of the drone used by the Sudanese Army
Tehran has supplied the Sudanese army with combat drones of the Mohajer-6 type, according to Bloomberg on January 24, citing senior Western officials.
Satellite images confirmed the delivery of the drones to the strategic Wadi Seidna Air Base, north of Omdurman near the capital Khartoum. Mohajer-6 drones are Iranian-made single-engine drones equipped with guided munitions, qualified for surveillance missions and explosive transport.
The story began last October when Sudan announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with Iran after a seven-year hiatus and three months after a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries. By providing military support to the Sudanese army, Tehran is betting on rebuilding its long-term influence in Sudan, which suffered a major setback when former President Omar al-Bashir decided to sever ties and focus his political and economic efforts on developing relations with Saudi Arabia.
In contrast, Egypt views both Sudan and Libya as strategic areas directly linked to its national security, and places among its priorities the removal of any foreign influence from the two countries, believing that it would detract from Egyptian influence or even pose a threat to national security. This applies even to Gulf influence in Sudan, despite Egypt’s close alliance with Saudi Arabia, but Egypt’s sensitivity to the situation in Sudan makes Gulf presence worrisome, including Gulf agricultural projects in Sudan, which have raised Cairo’s concern about their impact on Sudan’s increasing water needs.
Similarly, Cairo views Sudanese normalization with “Israel” as a direct threat, not only due to the strengthening security relations between the two parties under the Council of Sovereignty government led by the military but also due to potential plans to transfer advanced “Israeli” agricultural technologies to Sudan and what that means for Sudan’s future water needs.
While Egypt stands alongside the Sudanese army against attempts by the Rapid Support Forces to take control of the country, the army’s resort to Iranian support, and previously Turkish support as well through the acquisition of drones (Bayraktar TB2), indicates a diminishing Egyptian capacity to support its ally and its inability to effectively project power beyond its borders, for both economic and military reasons, as Egyptian military manufacturing capabilities decline compared to the Turkish and Iranian sides.
At the same time, this also clearly indicates that Egypt is likely incapable of providing effective support to Somalia in its escalating crisis with Ethiopia, which has become a concerning geopolitical rival for Egypt in East Africa and the Horn of Africa.
Although Iranian and Turkish support aligns with that supported by Egypt, it is not likely to be welcomed by Cairo, and Iranian support will raise some complications in Egypt’s relationship with the Sudanese army, but Cairo is likely to remain unable to provide adequate support to the army.
