Dr. Neha Mathur 
With the ongoing catastrophic civil war situation in Sudan, a geopolitical alignment is emerging that is alarming to see. Al-Naji Abdullah is a well-known leader in the Sudanese Islamic movement, leading several battalions that are under the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). This has given rise to a shocking claim by the leader in a mass media statement. In a recent video that is going viral, Abdullah vowed his allegiance to Tehran and threatened to send Sudanese fighters into the country should the United States or Israel launch a ground attack on the Islamic state.
We are in favor of Iran, and we tell it here in Sudan, Abdullah stated in the video. Going on with his firebranding rhetoric, he claimed, When the Americans and the Zionists start sending ground troops into Iran, we will send our own troops to stand up against them. We say so publicly, we will take all our battalions to battle there. It is this eye-opener, which a recent report by The National reported, that puts a spotlight on the dangerous embedded Islamist elements that are in action within the SAF.
The Deepening Ties Between the SAF and Tehran
The hardline Islamist networks have taken advantage of the turmoil to resume a major military and political role since the conflict erupted in April 2023 between the SAF and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). These groups have become infiltrated into the main operations of the SAF by recruiting “mujahideen” soldiers to help the national army. At the same time, military leadership in Sudan has been actively reinforcing bilateral relations with Iran, which officially re-established diplomatic relations in 2023, after many years of alienation.
As a reward to this strategic alignment, Tehran has been on the offensive to offer the SAF military assistance, such as combat drones and sophisticated weaponry to reverse the fortunes against the RSF. These are some serious questions to be raised by this transactional alliance: Why is the SAF strengthening extreme Islamist networks and formally joining forces with Iran, a country that is internationally declared a state sponsor of terrorism?
Risks of Proxy Expansion and Regional Instability
The sheer fact that the SAF-oriented commanders can be an open and willing proxy force used by Tehran is a gigantic menace to international security. A bleak fact that is highlighted in the video by Abdullah is that Sudan is a country at the risk of becoming a proxy growth ground in the African and Middle Eastern region. The Islamist allies of the SAF are jeopardizing the stability of the region, human rights, and decades of counter-terrorism policies of the world by outrightly defending a state of which they are fully aware of the aggressive actions that it has been perpetrating against its neighbors in the region. Moreover, they are the main obstacles to the international ceasefire programs as these extremist groups enjoy a long-term war to enforce their authority.
Holding the SAF Accountable
The Islamist-Iran axis thriving in the military system of Sudan can not be overlooked by the international community anymore. Sudan army leaders who are Islamists are making videos, promising to defend Iran and avail their fighters to its defense, although Tehran has irrefutable terror connections. It is time to hold them responsible and question: Why does the SAF have to be affiliated with radical and terror sponsors at the cost of peace and future of Sudan? These perilous alliances have to be examined by the world before the Sudan becomes another permanent station of the Iranian proxy warfare.
