Iran Reports Arms Shipment to Sudan’s Army Amid Ongoing Civil War

What happened

Iran International reports that an Iranian cargo plane operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) delivered a shipment of military equipment, including various drones, to the Sudanese army on March 17. The flight, operated by Fars Air Qeshm—a Tehran-owned airline linked to the IRGC—landed at Port Sudan under flight number W5998, two informed sources confirmed to Iran International.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. A European intelligence source and a second knowledgeable informant confirmed the cargo included weapons and drones, with the shipment aimed at supporting Sudan’s armed forces amid the country’s ongoing civil war between the regular army and the Rapid Support Forces militia. Iran has utilized this plane previously for arms deliveries to Sudan, with a similar flight recorded in mid-2024.

Tehran’s involvement in Sudan appears to be increasing, with satellite imagery showing Iranian drones, specifically Ababil-3 and Mohajer-6 models, deployed near Khartoum. These drones are known for reconnaissance and strike missions and have also been supplied by Iran to other state and non-state actors in the Middle East and beyond, including Iraq, Venezuela, and Russia.

Known from the source

• Iran’s Revolutionary Guards operated a cargo aircraft that delivered military equipment to Sudan’s army on or around March 17, 2026.
• The aircraft involved is a Boeing 747 registered EP-FAB, operated by IRGC-owned Fars Air Qeshm.
• The cargo included various types of drones reportedly delivered to Sudanese army forces.
• Iran has used this aircraft for similar shipments to Sudan previously, including one in June/July 2024.
• Satellite imagery shows Iranian drones stationed near Khartoum.

What remains unclear

Political ties between Iran and Sudan have shifted significantly in recent years: diplomatic relations were cut in 2016 but restored by late 2023 amid the broader Middle East conflict involving Israel and Hamas. Despite a 2024 report that Sudan rejected Iran’s offer of a warship for a permanent military base, arms deliveries appear ongoing, with reports from Bloomberg and others indicating Iran’s push to build a strategic foothold along the Red Sea coast.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Precise inventory and nature of weapons and drones on March 17 shipment. Verification of flight operations and exact arrival details at Port Sudan. Independent confirmation of Iranian drone deployments near Khartoum.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: Iran International. Open the source.