Sudan's role in the Iran-Israel conflict made headlines over the past week after a suspected Israeli airstrike on a munitions factory in Khartoum, Sudan was closely followed by a visit from two Iranian warships to Port Sudan.
Katherine Zimmerman, the Gulf of Aden team leader for the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project, told Trend Lines that Sudan plays a key role in Iran's regional strategy, and the relationship is mutually beneficial.
"Sudan has served as Iran's toehold on the African continent and has provided sanctuary to Iranian proxy groups, as well as al-Qaida operatives, and serves as a key conduit for Iran's arms smuggling network supporting Hamas in Gaza," she said. "Sudan benefits through bilateral relations in both the economic and security sectors."