Sudan, Iran exchange ambassadors after 8-year rift

The head of the Sovereignty Council, Commander of the Sudanese Army, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, received on Sunday the credentials of Hassan Shah, the new Iranian ambassador to Sudan, after more than 8 years of complete estrangement between the two countries.
In press releases, Sudanese Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Hussein Al-Amin pointed to the “beginning of a new phase in bilateral relations” and stressed the strong ties between Sudan and Iran.
He added: “The Chairman of the Sovereignty Council welcomed the new ambassador of Iran.”
In turn, the Iranian ambassador said that submitting his credentials “falls within the framework of the common consensus between the two countries regarding the exchange of ambassadors and the promotion of bilateral relations.” He added that he would “do his utmost to strengthen cooperative relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Sudan.”
He also noted that his country “supports the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sudan.”
In October, Sudan announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with Iran, following months of meetings between officials in the two countries.
The new rapprochement began during talks between their foreign ministers in Azerbaijan, in July 2023, on the sidelines of the meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement.
In June 2016, the government of ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announced it would cut ties with Iran and expel its ambassador from Khartoum.