Sudan, New Battleground for Tehran and Tel Aviv

Some regional and Western newspapers have interpreted the docking of Iranian ships in Sudan’s Red Sea Port as the transformation of this country into an Iranian military base. What are Iran’s objectives, in your opinion, in this military maneuver?

I must point out that Sudan is not an Iranian military base. The docking of Iran’s Jamaran destroyer and its helicopter-carrier in Sudan shows the power of the presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in international waters. I believe that Iran pursues two objectives:

1. With regard to the struggle against Somali pirates, the movements of Iran’s ships in that region are very significant. Considering the proximity with the Gate of Grief and waters which are internationally significant and the passage of Iran’s oil and trade ships through this area, the presence of Iranian warships in that region is highly important. The cooperation of our ally Sudan in providing Iran with its facilities and forces strengthens bilateral efforts to combat the pirates.

2. Following the Zionist regime’s attack on the Yarmouk factory located south of Khartoum, this is the second time that Iran is present in the region. This measure shows that the Islamic Republic of Iran has stood alongside the people and the government of Sudan in their struggle against Israeli aggressions against this country.

Military cooperation between Iran and Sudan has been going on for two decades and agreements have been made between the two countries. This cooperation exists in different levels including training and military exchanges. Iran can greatly help Sudan in this regard and remove the existing weaknesses in this country’s anti-aircraft systems which were not able to prevent the entrance of Israeli planes into Sudan’s airspace.

Israel has always been present in the Mediterranean Sea and Tel Aviv’s sensitivities have grown recently due to Iran’s activities in this country. Will Sudan be a new center for disputes between Iran and the Zionist regime?

Any type of closeness between two Muslim countries can be considered a serious threat for the Zionist regime, particularly when Iran and Sudan are both in the line of struggle against this regime. Sudan supports the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon and has good relations with the Islamic Resistance, i.e. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. Therefore, this closeness and military cooperation between Iran and Sudan can be a warning sign for Israel, in particular, when the US and Israel attempt to isolate Iran in the region. Iran’s presence in these seas can be a threat for this regime. But I believe that the reason behind Iran and Sudan’s cooperation has nothing to do with a third party, rather it is in line with the strengthening of strategic relations between Khartoum and Tehran.

Among Arab countries, we have so far only heard the Saudi reaction to Iran’s presence in Sudanese waters, with the Saudis warning Sudan. What has been the Arabs’ reaction to this issue?

It seems unrealistic and illogical, because a few months ago, the same Jamaran destroyer docked in Jeddah and was welcomed by Saudi military officials. They hosted this ship for two, three days and allowed it to stay in Jeddah’s ports. Therefore, there is no problem for Iran, because Jamaran was hosted in the past by Qatar and the Kingdom of Oman. These movements are friendly and, in exchange, they also dispatch their ships and forces to Iran. Thus, in international relations, such issues are very natural and normal and, as I mentioned before, this presence does not involve any third party and is only aimed at strengthening relations.

Considering the long distances and the issue of fueling and resting, cooperation must be made between Islamic countries and it seems that there should be no concern for other countries because these measures are to the benefit of Muslim countries and it is an effective element in the creation of understanding and cooperation between the countries.

How will this issue impact relations between Iran and Egypt?

Iran has also had such cooperation with Egypt. The same Iranian warships which moved towards Syria were supported by the Egyptians and they cooperated in this regard. Perhaps in the future, this warship will dock in Egypt’s ports and move towards cooperation with our ally Egypt. Considering the recent developments in Egypt and the downfall of the Mubarak regime, this issue can be effective in the expansion of relations between the two countries.

Considering present conditions in Syria, can it be said that Sudan will be its replacement for Iran?

It seems impossible that the Islamic Republic of Iran would seek a replacement, because the government of Syria is still in power and relations between the two countries continue. On the other hand, Iran’s relations with Sudan are nothing new, that is to say that military agreements between the two countries began in 1990, thus, they are old and are aimed at strengthening past relations. With regard to the Zionist regime’s aggressions and movements in the region, Sudan is an ally of the Islamic Republic and Iran has also expanded its cooperation with this country.