Iran sends 2 warships to Sudan 5 days after air strike on its weapons factory in Khartoum
NICOSIA — Iran has reported the arrival of its warships in Sudan.
The Teheran regime said two Iranian Navy vessels docked in Sudan on Oct.
29 as part of cooperation with the Arab League state. The vessels were
identified as a corvette named Shahid Naqdi and the Kharq frigate.
The Iran Navy’s 22nd fleet of warships has called at a Sudanese northeastern port in the Red Sea.
“They are meant to convey a message of peace and friendship to the
region’s countries and provide safety at sea in light of maritime
terrorism,” Iran’s official Irna news agency said.
The report came five days after a reported air strike on a major weapons factory in Khartoum operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Sudan has accused Israel of having fired air-to-ground missiles on the
Yarmouk facility, said to have manufactured Iranian weapons, including the Shihab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile.
On Oct. 29, Sudan reported another fire at Yarmouk. The Khartoum regime said the blaze stemmed from the missile attack on Oct. 24.
“There is no new attack, but the fire has rekindled,” Sudanese Army
spokesman Sawarmi Saad said. “It began in some places that had not been
treated by firemen.”
Irna said the two Iranian Navy vessels left Iran in September and sailed
through the Red Sea. The agency did not elaborate.
“The commanders of the Iranian flotilla met with Sudanese navy
commanders during the berthing ceremony,” Irna said. “The flotilla had left
the Bandar Abbas 1st Maritime Zone for the free and international waters in
September to conduct the mission.”
Sudan has also accused the United States of complicity in the purported
Israeli attack. On Oct. 29, the Sudanese daily Al Intiba said CIA director
David Petraeus denied any U.S. role in the air strike on Yarmouk. The
newspaper said Petraeus also appealed to Khartoum to protect American
citizens.
