Ahmad 
Sudan has rejected an Iranian request to build an Iranian naval base on the Red Sea coast, according to the “Wall Street “Journal, which reported the news.
According to the intelligence adviser to the Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Ahmed Hassan Mohammed, whose remarks the newspaper quoted as saying, Iran provided the Sudanese army with drones to be used in fighting the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemedti” and offered to provide a warship carrying a helicopter if Sudan was granted permission to establish the base, adding that Khartoum rejected the Iranian proposal to avoid provoking hostility United States and Israel.
Arena of international conflict
The Iranian request raises the issue of the international and regional conflicts over Sudan in light of the ongoing war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, as this step represents more than just military ambition, it indicates a broader geopolitical game on the part of Tehran and other regional players to enhance influence along the shores of the Red Sea, up to the Nile Basin and within a region where Africa meets the Middle East. Al-Fattah al-Burhan, whom Cairo sees as the most likely guarantor of its interests, including in its negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
The other side of the regional stakes is on the part of Hemedti, the leader of the Rapid Support Forces, who has close relations with the UAE, as there is a basic point of convergence between them related to limiting the influence of political Islam, and while Western powers seem to support a transitional period in Sudan, they are deeply seeking to draw a balance that guarantees them the wider influence on the African continent, their basic understanding is related to the existing relations within their former colonies in this continent.
As for Russia, it previously signed an agreement to build a military base in Sudan, as part of its broader vision in its conflict with the United States, and to create a balance in international roles with the United States and NATO countries on the stage of international politics, and although the Russian base has not yet emerged as a result of the complications that hit Sudan, but the Russian role is parallel to the rest of the other international factors, whether in relations with the conflicting parties or even within the African arena in general.
Sudanese Options
The Iranian request on the naval base comes amid a difficult situation The Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, finds itself at a crossroads, especially that the disclosure of previous dealings with Iran included the purchase of drones to mitigate human losses according to the army’s claims, but the recent Iranian offer, which included providing explosive drones and a warship capable of carrying helicopters in exchange for establishing a naval base, and rejecting the Iranian request does not constitute a clear change in the conflict over Sudan, as the needs More than 25 million Sudanese, more than half the population, need aid, and 18 million face acute food insecurity, and these difficult conditions are a gateway to external influences seeking a foothold in the strategically located country.
Sudan’s relationship with other African countries and regional powers has complicated Sudan’s historical rapprochement with Iran and its allies under President Omar al-Bashir has changed, with Burhan seeking an alliance with the United States to lift international sanctions and normalize relations with Israel.
While the United States has expressed concern about Iranian arms shipments to Sudan, considering it a major warning to regional security, Sudan’s strategic location along the Red Sea has exceeded American warnings, the geopolitical game in which Washington is strongly present is linked to the pivotal sea routes that pass through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea and its proximity to the turbulent waters near Yemen, Sudan’s fragile balance clearly affects international relations while dealing with internal conflict and regional pressures.