Sudan Denies Receiving Request From Iran to Build Naval Base in Country - Foreign Minister

ANTALYA (Sputnik) - Sudan has never received any requests from Iran to build its naval base in the country, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Al-Sadiq told Sputnik on Sunday, adding that the relevant article by The Wall Street Journal was not accurate.

Earlier in the day, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a senior Sudanese intelligence official, that Iran had allegedly sought Sudan's permission to build a permanent naval base on its Red Sea coast in exchange for military equipment, but Khartoum rejected Tehran's proposal to avoid cutting ties with the US and Israel.

"I read The Wall Street Journal article today, this report is incorrect … Iran has never asked Sudan to build an Iranian base. I recently visited Iran, and this was not discussed," Sadiq said on the sidelines of the 2024 Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

In October 2023, Sudan and Iran resumed their diplomatic ties, seven years after Sudan severed them in line with the same move by Saudi Arabia when Saudi Arabian diplomatic missions in Iran were attacked following the execution of Shiite cleric Ayatollah Nimr al-Nimr, who questioned the Gulf monarchy's authority.