AGrade A: Official recordStrongest record: official record
6 documented ties · 1 step from the SAF
Also recorded as: IRGC (training and support to Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade); Iran (IRGC / Mohajer-6 supply); Iran – head-of-state contacts since restoration of ties; Iran / IRGC – Al-Baraa Ibn Malik links; Islamist figures pledge to fight for Iran (Mar 2026); Iran – alleged secret high-level delegation to Port Sudan, naval-base talks (Mar 2026); Iran – reported offer of advanced weapons for a Red Sea naval base (WSJ, Mar 2024) – denied by both governments
Supplier of armed drones and other weapons to the SAF via IRGC-linked cargo flights to Port Sudan after diplomatic relations were restored in October 2023; US government says the IRGC trained and supported the SAF-aligned Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade.
Their response
Sudan's acting foreign minister Ali Sadeq to Reuters (Apr 2024): 'Sudan did not obtain any weapons from Iran.' A senior SAF source told Reuters the drones did not come directly from Iran. Iran's foreign ministry did not respond to Reuters. WaPo (Mar 2025): Iran has not commented on the reports.
DENIED. Sovereignty Council member Lt Gen Ibrahim Jabir denied receiving Iranian military aid; FM Ali al-Sadiq: 'عدم وجود أي اتفاقيات مع إيران على مساعدات عسكرية'; a senior diplomat: 'ما يقال عن أسلحة إيرانية هذه مجرد تكهنات' (Sudan Tribune, 24 Mar 2024, https://sudantribune.net/article/283675).
Records
9
Each record carries its own grade. A grade describes the source for that record, not the actor.
AGrade A: Official record
Iran
Dec 2023 - at least Mar 2025; Bloomberg reported in June 2026 that SAF had curbed Iranian purchases
Supplier of armed drones and other weapons to the SAF via IRGC-linked cargo flights to Port Sudan after diplomatic relations were restored in October 2023; US government says the IRGC trained and supported the SAF-aligned Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade.
Response
Sudan's acting foreign minister Ali Sadeq to Reuters (Apr 2024): 'Sudan did not obtain any weapons from Iran.' A senior SAF source told Reuters the drones did not come directly from Iran. Iran's foreign ministry did not respond to Reuters. WaPo (Mar 2025): Iran has not commented on the reports.
Sanctions
No Sudan-specific sanctions on the Iranian state; Qeshm Fars Air under US sanctions (pre-existing). US Treasury (Oct 2024) explicitly names Iranian drones and Iranian diplomatic/weapons support as emboldening the SAF.
Iran – head-of-state contacts since restoration of ties
Official readouts: Burhan met President Raisi in Riyadh (11 Nov 2023) and President Pezeshkian in New York (25 Sept 2024), where he praised 'the Islamic Republic of Iran's positions supportive of Sudan in regional and international forums'. No military content is stated.
Fact-check
Beam Reports found a June 2025 'Iran will join the war alongside SAF' statement to be fabricated, and in Apr 2026 exposed a coordinated campaign promoting an 'army–Iran alliance' (see known-false records).
Source
official SAF-side (Transitional Sovereignty Council media office channel; presents as official, signed 'إعلام مجلس السيادة الانتقالي', active since 2020; not cross-verified from a government website)
Foreign ministry denies a secret Iranian delegation (April 2026); Sudan condemns an Iranian attack on Saudi energy facilities
2024-09 to 2026-04
In April 2026 the foreign ministry 'categorically' denied a report by the site 'Assayha' of 'a secret visit by an Iranian delegation to Sudan' or any meetings with Sudanese officials (statement carried by the state news agency and the defence ministry page, 4 Apr 2026). On 8 Apr 2026 Sudan 'condemned the Iranian attack on Saudi energy facilities'. Earlier, a page in Burhan's name reported his meeting with Iran's president in New York on 25 Sep 2024, where he praised 'the positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran in support of Sudan in regional and international forums'.
Why this grade
Grade A is for the fact that the page announced this. The page was identified as official by its name and content; no verification badge was detected.
Response
This is the Sudanese government's own denial.
›Research notes
Source alignment: official SAF-side channel. Grade applies to the fact that the announcement was made, not to its content. Recorded as the Sudanese response on Iran in 2026: a denial by a party to the war, which does not settle whether contacts took place. Consistent with the earlier finding that the army says purchases from Iran have stopped.
Western officials (via Bloomberg) said Iran supplied SAF with combat drones; satellite imagery showed a Mohajer-6 at an army-controlled base north of Khartoum in Jan 2024.
Response
DENIED. Sovereignty Council member Lt Gen Ibrahim Jabir denied receiving Iranian military aid; FM Ali al-Sadiq: 'عدم وجود أي اتفاقيات مع إيران على مساعدات عسكرية'; a senior diplomat: 'ما يقال عن أسلحة إيرانية هذه مجرد تكهنات' (Sudan Tribune, 24 Mar 2024, https://sudantribune.net/article/283675).
Iran / IRGC – Al-Baraa Ibn Malik links; Islamist figures pledge to fight for Iran (Mar 2026)
Sudan War Monitor (15 Mar 2026) describes the Al-Baraa Ibn Malik Corps as having 'received advanced weapons and training from Iran's IRGC' and quotes an Islamist figure in a viral video of 3 March 2026 pledging to send 'all our brigades' if US/Israeli ground forces enter Iran; SAF leadership and the Sudanese Islamic Movement took a more measured line.
Fact-check
SWM itself reports that most Sudanese officials distanced themselves. Beam Reports (21 Apr 2026) found a coordinated RSF-/UAE-aligned campaign amplifying an 'army–Iran alliance' narrative – treat viral clips with care.
Source
independent OSINT monitor (Sudan War Monitor; has issued public retractions)
Iran – reported offer of advanced weapons for a Red Sea naval base (WSJ, Mar 2024) – denied by both governments
Radio Dabanga (4 Mar 2024): Iran's foreign-ministry spokesman called the Wall Street Journal report (citing an unnamed Sudanese intelligence official) that Iran offered Sudan advanced weapons in exchange for a naval base 'baseless and politically motivated'; Sudan's acting foreign minister called it 'false and fabricated'. WSJ said Sudan refused the offer.
Fact-check
Denied by Iran's Foreign Ministry (4 Mar 2024) and Sudan's acting foreign minister (3 Mar 2024).
Source
independent (Radio Dabanga, exile broadcaster based in Amsterdam)
State of the relationship in 2026: SAF says it has stopped buying; US says Islamist factions still receive Iranian support
March - June 2026
Bloomberg reported on 16 June 2026, citing a senior SAF source, that the army 'is no longer seeking to purchase Iranian weapons' and wants closer ties with the United States and Saudi Arabia. RANE's account of the same story records a State Department spokesperson's reply that Sudanese Islamist factions in the SAF coalition 'are still cultivating ties with and receiving technical support from the Iranian government, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps'. In March 2026, after the US designation of the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood and during the Iran war, Burhan publicly disowned pro-Iranian statements by Islamist figures ('We will stand against what the group has done and against those who support it'); an Islamist leader who had pledged support for Iran was detained in Port Sudan for three days and released. No Iranian delivery, cargo flight or shipment to Sudan in 2026 is documented in any source opened: the last logged Qeshm Fars Air flight remains 17 March 2025.
Response
No Iranian government statement on Sudan in 2026 was found. Sudan has consistently denied receiving Iranian weapons.
›Research notes
Grade C: the halt is a single-outlet report resting on one unnamed SAF source with an interest in the message; Bloomberg itself could not be opened (robots block) and is known through RANE and FDD. The absence of 2026 flights is a search result, not proof of absence: Horn Review (Ethiopia-based) claims Iranian-linked aircraft landed at Massawa in November 2025 but cites no document. Sources marked summary_only were read through an automated page summary; quotations from them should be checked against the page before publication.
Iran – alleged secret high-level delegation to Port Sudan, naval-base talks (Mar 2026)
A statement by the 'Broad Civil Front for the Liberation of Eastern Sudan', reposted on the sudaneseonline press-release board (25 Mar 2026), condemns a 'secret' high-level Iranian delegation visit to Port Sudan said to aim at activating military cooperation agreements and discussing an Iranian naval base, in closed meetings with military and Islamic Movement leaders.
Fact-check
Not specifically fact-checked. No such visit was announced on the official channels read. In March 2024 both Iran's Foreign Ministry and Sudan's acting foreign minister denied a WSJ report that Iran sought a naval base (Radio Dabanga, 4 Mar 2024 – see separate record).
Source
anti-SAF political group statement on an open forum (alignment: opposition; narrative overlaps with RSF/UAE-aligned messaging)
5 more records below grade A (corroborated, single-source or unverified). Change “Evidence shown” to see them.
4 more records at grade C (single source) or D (unverified lead). Change “Evidence shown” to see them.
1 more record at grade D (unverified lead). Change “Evidence shown” to see it.
Checked against the document
6
Statements compared with the wording of the primary document.
“Since the beginning of the war, the SAF has prioritized weapons acquisition, including Iranian drones and a port-for-weapons deal with Russia, choosing to expand the conflict rather than end it through good-faith negotiations. The weapons and diplomatic support provided by Iran and Russia have emboldened the SAF and lessened their interest in deescalating the conflict.”
“BBMB has contributed upwards of 20,000 fighters in the conflict against the RSF, using training and weapons provided by the IRGC. BBMB fighters have been implicated in arbitrary arrests, torture, and summary executions of those perceived to be aligned with the RSF.”
Correction: arms.json #57 ("IRGC training and support to Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade") cites only a March 2026 X post by a US adviser via The National and gives "period: not dated". The primary official source is this Treasury release of 12 Sep 2025 - cite it and date the claim accordingly. crime.json #13 should add that on 9 March 2026 OFAC added FTO and SDGT tags to the BBMB entry.
9 Mar 2026could not open
Correction: arms.json #57 grade A rests on a newspaper report of an X post; regrade the X-post element to C and rest the claim on Treasury sb0246 (A).
“MAFI facilitated a contract valued at over €60 million for the sale of Iranian-made Mohajer-6 armed UAVs from Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (“MODAFL”) to the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Sudan. MAFI coordinated the Sudanese delegation’s travel to Iran, received over €6 million in payments, and issued payment receipts under the contract. [...] The total value of the contract was €61,656,000, to be paid by the customer in four installments.”
Correction: Resolution of "$60m vs $70.6m": the court documents give EUR 61,656,000 ("over €60 million"); the DOJ release says "more than $70 million". "$60 million" (e.g. Courthouse News) is a euro figure mislabelled as dollars; "$70.6m" appears in neither primary document. Likewise payments: complaint "over €6 million", DOJ "more than $7 million" - arms.json "Atlas received >$7 million in 2025" should be attributed to the DOJ release and read "Mafi was paid", not Atlas. The 7 Jan 2025 amendment was for EUR 30,828,000 with an "Omani front company" as buyer on behalf of the government of Sudan.
“Human Rights Watch verified two videos geolocated in Bahri (Khartoum North), showing drones apparently flown by SAF-affiliated fighters dropping mortar munitions onto groups of people in civilian clothes who do not appear to be carrying weapons, killing and injuring them in strikes that may amount to war crimes”
Correction: arms.json #0 says "Iran's foreign ministry and defence ministry did not respond to Reuters". The reprint supports only: "The army’s media department and Iran’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment." Drop "defence ministry" unless the original shows it.
Relationships
8
← means the other party acts on this one; → means this one acts on the other.
IRGC training and other support to its fighters, as reported from the US State Department announcement (primary statement not opened) · announced 9 Mar 2026
1 more relationship below grade A (corroborated, single-source or unverified). Change “Evidence shown” to see it.
1 more relationship at grade C (single source) or D (unverified lead). Change “Evidence shown” to see it.
Dated events
18
Sudan and Iran resume diplomatic relations after a seven-year break (Reuters report dated 9 Oct 2023 per citation; Iran International says "late 2023"). iranintl.com↗
BGrade B: Corroborated
First tracked Qeshm Fars Air 747 (EP-FAB) flight Iran-Port Sudan; Planet Labs image shows a 747 at Port Sudan. Further flights 12 Dec, 8, 16, 23, 30 Jan. reuters.com↗
BGrade B: Corroborated
First EP-FAB (Qeshm Fars Air) flight Tehran-Port Sudan logged by the Sudan Conflict Observatory; further flights 14 Dec 2023, 16, 23, 30 Jan, 11 Mar, 12 Jun, 14 and 25 Jul 2024 (dates from automated summary). mars.gmu.edu↗
BGrade B: Corroborated
Satellite image shows a Mohajer-6 at Wadi Seidna air base (PAX analysis). stripes.com↗
BGrade B: Corroborated
Bloomberg: three Western officials say Iran supplied Mohajer-6 drones to the SAF. stripes.com↗
BGrade B: Corroborated
Reuters: Iranian drones helped SAF turn the tide in Omdurman; Sudan's acting FM denies obtaining weapons from Iran. reuters.com↗
BGrade B: Corroborated
Sudan Conflict Observatory publishes "Foreign Facilitators of Weapons Fueling Sudan's Civil War"; Washington Post reports it on 15 Oct. Sudan War Monitor identifies TulAmmo-branded ammunition with SAF soldiers the same month. stripes.com↗
BGrade B: Corroborated
OFAC designates DIS director Mirghani Idris Suleiman; cites Iranian drones and a port-for-weapons deal with Russia. home.treasury.gov↗
AGrade A: Official record
Bloomberg: Iran supplied dozens of drones; Russia provided fuel and weapons components; both sought Red Sea bases. iranintl.com↗
CGrade C: Single source
OFAC designates Burhan, Ahmad Abdalla and Portex Trade Limited; cites Iranian-made UAVs obtained from an Azerbaijani defense company. home.treasury.gov↗
AGrade A: Official record
Qeshm Fars Air EP-FAB flies Tehran-Port Sudan as W5998 with drones (Iran International, intelligence sources). iranintl.com↗
CGrade C: Single source
EP-FAB flight W5998 Tehran-Port Sudan, said by two sources to carry military equipment including drones. iranintl.com↗
CGrade C: Single source
RSF drone attack on SAF airbase near Port Sudan "reportedly targeting facilities used by Turkish and Iranian technical teams". sudantransparency.org↗
CGrade C: Single source
US adviser Massad Boulos says the IRGC trained and supported the Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade (press report of a social-media post). thenationalnews.com↗
CGrade C: Single source
Shamim Mafi arrested at LAX (Saturday before 20 Apr per Al Jazeera; MEF gives 19 Apr) on federal complaint alleging she brokered Iranian arms sales to Sudan. aljazeera.com↗
AGrade A: Official record
US v. Shamim Mafi: criminal complaint (C.D. Cal.). Alleges brokering of Iranian drones, fuses and ammunition for Sudan's Ministry of Defense. No delivery alleged. justice.gov↗
AGrade A: Official record
Bloomberg: SAF has curbed purchases of Iranian weapons to court the Trump administration. bloomberg.com↗
CGrade C: Single source
Bloomberg: senior SAF source says the army is no longer seeking Iranian weapons; State Department says Islamist factions still receive Iranian technical support worldview.ranenetwork.com↗
CGrade C: Single source
14 more events below grade A (corroborated, single-source or unverified). Change “Evidence shown” to see them.
7 more events at grade C (single source) or D (unverified lead). Change “Evidence shown” to see them.
Geography
Tags come from the recorded jurisdiction and from place names in the records. Coordinates on the map are approximate.
Based in
Iran
Also named
Saudi Arabia (4), Ethiopia (1), United States (1)
Places
Port Sudan, Khartoum, Riyadh
Position in the network
Derived by analysing the documented relationships. Nothing in this section is a finding.
Still connected to the SAF when only official records are counted.