Iran unsuccessfully pressed Sudan to let it build a permanent naval base on the African country’s Red Sea coast, something that would have allowed Tehran to monitor maritime traffic to and from the Suez Canal and Israel, according to a senior Sudanese intelligence official.
Iran has supplied Sudan’s military with explosive drones to use in its fight with a rebel warlord and offered to provide a helicopter-carrying warship if Sudan had granted permission for the base, said Ahmad Hasan Mohamed, an intelligence adviser to Sudan’s military leader.
“The Iranians said they wanted to use the base for intelligence gathering,” Mohamed said in an interview. “They also wanted to station warships there.” He said Khartoum turned down Iran’s proposal to avoid alienating the U.S. and Israel.
A naval base on the Red Sea would allow Tehran to tighten its grip on one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, where it is helping Yemen-based Houthi rebels launch attacks on commercial vessels. Iran and the Houthis say the attacks are aimed at punishing Israel and its allies for the fighting in Gaza. Iran’s regional rivals, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, all have direct access to the waterway.
Iran has also been sending increasingly sophisticated weapons to its Houthi allies in Yemen, enhancing their ability to attack merchant vessels and disrupt international commerce despite weeks of U.S.-led airstrikes. A U.S.-led multinational force has also been deployed to protect seaborne traffic.
Here are the top political news stories for today.
@HopefulVultureGreen2yrs2Y
So many problems because of America's immovable support of Israel. It's not just that there's no return, but US lopsided support for Israel has shattered so much of its credibility and goodwill around the world. There's nothing to like about the vile Iranian regime or any other islamo-fascist regime, but there's no good reason for the US to be constantly entangled with them.
@GutturalLlamaDemocrat2yrs2Y
@PeskyRightWingDemocrat2yrs2Y
We should all thank our lucky stars that Trump isn’t in charge. God help us if he’s ever in power again. China and Russia will be the super powers, and the Middle East and Europe will be in wars that have no winners.
@ToucanPaisleyGreen2yrs2Y
If Trump were in charge Ukraine would be occupied now, with Russia threatening the EU after NATO had crumbled. Sweden and Finland would have never had applied to join, Taiwan probably handed over and the EU left to its own devices. Giant tariffs would already have isolated the American economy from a world dominated by China for the foreseeable future. The Middle East would basically be leveled in a region wide war. There’s no end to the strategic and domestic damage Trump might have wreaked if he were still in the Oval.
There are plenty of things to criticize Trump for (and I did not and wont vote for him) but please remember under his watch the palestinians more or less behaved themselves, Russia did not attack Ukraine (they did when Obama and Biden were President), ships were nit being attacked in the Red Sea and the southern border was way better than it is today. If you are going to criticize Trump, then at least go after his failures like Jan 6th, far right judicial appointments, etc rather than his successes.
Say what you want about Biden's age, but the fact remains that this President shines in know-how, wisdom, and experience. Iran is crossing the proverbial Red Line, and this administration has said, "Don't you dare go any further." Biden is not bluster, he proverbially walks the walk. Just think if Trump were at the helm. As it is with Trumpism, from the man himself to the Republican-led House to the MAGA family at large, this ship called democracy is already on troubled waters. Trump would assure not only the growth of an isolated authoritarianism, but also a ceding of power to our nemeses, whether it be Iran, Russia, or North Korea. Please think, my fellow Americans, before you cast your ballot in November. Biden means a strong democracy; Trump means its decline in a ship that has sunk.
Loading the political themes of users that engaged with this discussion
Loading data...
Join in on more popular conversations.
