Iran Accused of Fueling Sudan’s Civil War with Drone Shipments

Iran is facing fresh allegations of destabilizing another conflict zone, this time by supplying attack drones to Sudan’s ongoing civil war—weapons that reports indicate are being used to indiscriminately kill civilians, including women and children.

The devastating conflict, now entering its fourth year, has claimed an estimated 400,000 lives since fighting erupted on April 15, 2023. More than 11 million people have been displaced, creating what experts describe as the world’s worst displacement crisis.

“Iran has supplied the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) with drones, specifically the Mohajer-6, manufactured by Qods Aviation Industries, a U.S.-sanctioned entity, since 2013,” Mariam Wahba, research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told reporters.

The Mohajer-6, described as “Iran’s workhorse drone,” is a reusable platform capable of both surveillance and precision strikes. It’s the same system that Iran-backed groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis have deployed in attacks against Israel and shipping in the Red Sea.

Evidence of Iran’s continued involvement has mounted in recent months. “Between December 2023 and July 2024, at least seven cargo flights traveled between Iran and Sudan, likely transporting drones and component parts,” Wahba noted.

The U.S. State Department has expressed grave concern about the proliferation of drone warfare in Sudan and its devastating impact on civilians. “Recently we have seen RSF and SAF drones destroy hospitals and schools, killing civilians,” a spokesperson said, referring to both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the opposing Rapid Support Forces militia.

In a significant development that underscores Iran’s involvement, U.S. authorities arrested an Iranian-born U.S. resident at Los Angeles International Airport in April. Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, is charged with trafficking arms on behalf of the Iranian government, allegedly brokering a $70 million deal to supply Mohajer-6 systems and other military hardware to Sudan’s Ministry of Defense.

The humanitarian consequences of drone warfare in Sudan have been catastrophic. The United Nations recently reported two disturbing incidents: a drone attack on a UN refugee agency truck carrying emergency shelter supplies in North Darfur, and another drone strike on residential neighborhoods in El Obeid city that killed seven people and injured over 20.

“These are ordinary families in their homes, caught in violence that continues to reach civilian neighborhoods,” said UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. “We condemn all of these attacks.”

Children are particularly vulnerable to the terror of drone warfare. “For children in Sudan, the sound of a drone is yet another dreadful signal to hide and hope they are not harmed next,” said Ricardo Pires, communication manager for UNICEF. “Across Darfur and Kordofan, drones and other explosive weapons are turning streets, hospitals and schools into places of danger and death.”

The State Department has also highlighted concerning ideological connections, noting that “Islamist groups aligned with the SAF have formed relationships with the Iranian regime and have received assistance from Iran.” Officials specifically mentioned the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood, which they say has received training from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and has committed atrocities against civilians.

The crisis in Sudan reflects Iran’s broader pattern of exporting military technology and extending influence into regional conflicts across Africa and the Middle East. The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on several groups involved in the conflict, but the flow of weapons continues.

As one of Africa’s largest countries struggles through its deadliest conflict in recent history, the introduction of advanced drone technology threatens to further escalate civilian casualties and complicate international humanitarian efforts in a war that has already created catastrophic human suffering.