Also recorded as: Fars Air Qeshm; EP-FAB; Fars Air Qeshm (cargo flight EP-FAB Tehran–Port Sudan); Qeshm Fars Air - EP-FAB flight log (second-pass update)
IRGC-linked cargo airline whose Boeing 747-200F EP-FAB flew repeated Iran-Port Sudan rotations coinciding with the appearance of Mohajer-6 and Ababil-3 drones in SAF service.
Their response
Emails and calls from Reuters to Qeshm Fars Air went unanswered. BHRRC logged the company as not responding.
No denial in article; Sudanese officials deny Iranian military aid generally (see Iran entry).
Sudanese military officials publicly denied receiving drones from Iran; a Sudanese security official confirmed to the Washington Post that they had. Iranian officials did not respond to the Post.
Records
3
Each record carries its own grade. A grade describes the source for that record, not the actor.
BGrade B: Corroborated
Qeshm Fars Air
7 Dec 2023 - 17 Mar 2025 (documented)
IRGC-linked cargo airline whose Boeing 747-200F EP-FAB flew repeated Iran-Port Sudan rotations coinciding with the appearance of Mohajer-6 and Ababil-3 drones in SAF service.
Response
Emails and calls from Reuters to Qeshm Fars Air went unanswered. BHRRC logged the company as not responding.
Sanctions
Under US sanctions (pre-existing, for Syria-related lethal deliveries).
Qeshm Fars Air - EP-FAB flight log (second-pass update)
7 Dec 2023 - 25 Jul 2024; 17 Mar 2025
Refined list of Iran-Port Sudan flights from the Sudan Conflict Observatory trend report (Oct 2024), plus the March 2025 flight reported by Iran International.
Response
Sudanese military officials publicly denied receiving drones from Iran; a Sudanese security official confirmed to the Washington Post that they had. Iranian officials did not respond to the Post.
Sanctions
Qeshm Fars Air under pre-existing US sanctions
›Research notes
Dates per automated summary of the Conflict Observatory PDF (re-open before quoting): 7 and 14 Dec 2023; 16, 23 and 30 Jan 2024; 11 Mar 2024; 12 Jun 2024; 14 and 25 Jul 2024, from Tehran Mehrabad (the Post adds a stop at Bandar Abbas). The Washington Post gives seven flights and 'most recent flight ... July 23' - a small discrepancy with the summary. These differ from the first-pass dates taken from an X post (12 Dec 2023, 8 Jan 2024). Cargo was not observed: four flights were judged military because they returned to an Iranian air force apron, three because transponders were switched off. Iran International (two unnamed sources): flight W5998 Tehran-Port Sudan on 17 Mar 2025 carried military equipment including drones.
Fars Air Qeshm (cargo flight EP-FAB Tehran–Port Sudan)
Erem, citing Iran International, says the IRGC sent weapons (Mohajer-6, Ababil-3, anti-tank missiles) on a Fars Air Qeshm Boeing 747 (EP-FAB) to Port Sudan on 17 March, returning the same day per Flightradar24. Year not stated on the page.
Response
No denial in article; Sudanese officials deny Iranian military aid generally (see Iran entry).
Source
Erem News (UAE-based; UAE-aligned); relaying Iran International (Saudi-linked, anti-Tehran)
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
Amnesty publishes 'New Weapons Fuelling the Sudan Conflict'. Conflict Observatory's tracked window of Qeshm Fars Air flights ends the same day. amnesty.org↗
BGrade B: Corroborated
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
5 more events below grade A (corroborated, single-source or unverified). Change “Evidence shown” to see them.
2 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
Places
Port Sudan, Tehran
Position in the network
Derived by analysing the documented relationships. Nothing in this section is a finding.
Connected to the SAF through official or corroborated records.