Cultural and diplomatic ties under Omar al-Bashir During the last week of April 2006, Sudanese President
Omar al-Bashir met with a number of Iranian public figures in Tehran, including the
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In a joint news conference with al-Bashir on 24 April, Ahmadinejad explained to the public his belief that "expansion of ties between the two countries serves the interests of both nations, the region, and the Islamic world, particularly in terms of boosting peace and stability." Before the conference ended, al-Bashir congratulated Iran for its successful pursuit of "nuclear power for peaceful purposes," while Ahmadinejad restated his opposition to the participation of
UN Peacekeepers in
Darfur. President Omar-al Bashir visited Iran in July 2011 and President of Iran
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited
Khartoum in September 2011 to discuss "strategic regional and international dimensions." In October 2011, Ahmadinejad stated that Iran–Sudan relations are founded on "Common Islamic values." Bashir later stated Sudan would adopt an exclusive Islamic constitution and strengthen Islamic law in the government. Two Iranian warships docked in Port Sudan on 8 December 2012, marking the second port call by the Iranian navy in Sudan in five weeks. The Iranian navy announced that the 1,400-ton frigate
Jamaran and the 4,700-ton support ship
Bushehr “docked in Port Sudan, after successfully carrying out their assignments in the Red Sea and were greeted by high-ranking Sudanese naval commanders.” Sudanese army spokesman Sawarmi Khaled Saad had initially announced the warship visit for Nov. 30, stating that the port call was “a part of diplomatic and military exchanges between the two countries,” and would last for three days.
Deterioration of relations since 2015 However, since 2014, as for the result of growing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the feeling of return to the Arab house, and growing Iranian influence in the country threatens its Sunni domination, Sudan decided to close all Iranian cultural centers and expelled the Iranian officials and ambassador from the country. It was later followed by Sudan's participation in the
Yemeni war against
Houthis and received aids from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, in exchange for lifting sanctions on Sudan by the United States. In 2016, following the attack on Saudi embassy by Iranian protesters, Sudan cut off relations with Iran, souring relations between two countries. In 2020,
Sudan began the process of normalisation with Israel. This was criticized by Iran, where the Iranian government accused Sudan of "paying ransom".
During the Sudanese Civil War Since July 2023, Sudan's foreign ministry has discussed restoring relations "as soon as possible." This move came after the Iranian Red Crescent had supplied humanitarian aid during the
conflict in Sudan. In October, Iran and Sudan agreed to restore diplomatic relations and open embassies after a meeting between their foreign ministers. In July 2024, de facto ruler of Sudan
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan received an Iranian ambassador in
Port Sudan, the de facto capital of Sudan at the time due to fighting in the capital city
Khartoum, in the
Sudanese civil war. In return, the Iranian
foreign ministry received a Sudanese ambassador in the capital city of
Tehran. This was the first time the two countries exchanged ambassadors in eight years. During the ongoing Sudanese Civil War, Iran has emphasized its support for Sudan’s territorial integrity and the country’s internationally recognized government. In October 2025, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister
Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with the Sudanese Foreign Minister, during which he condemned attacks on civilians in
Al-Fashir and called for the preservation of Sudan’s unity. The Sudanese official briefed Araghchi on developments in the conflict and expressed appreciation for Iran’s political support and solidarity with the Sudanese people. In April 2026, during the
2026 Iran war, some pro-SAF Islamist factions publicly expressed support for Iran. According to reports, Iran had supplied drones to the SAF during the civil war, which were seen as helping shift the balance of power against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The U.S. State Department sanctioned the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood, closely aligned with the SAF, in part due to the fact that its fighters are "receiving training and other support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)." Observers noted that Sudan's leadership faced pressure from regional allies such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as well as the United States, to limit ties with both Iran and Islamist groups within the SAF coalition. Nonetheless, SAF officers expressed their support for Iran on social media videos that went viral. ==Economic relations==