Sudanese opposition groups accused Khartoum this week of reaching a secret agreement with Tehran to establish an Iranian military base on the Red Sea, The Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday, December 11. Sudanese rebel group The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said on Sunday that Sudan’s President Omar Bashir has reached a “very advanced” arrangement with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to establish a naval base either in Port Sudan or elsewhere on the Red Sea, according to the Sudanese anti-government news outlet Al Rakoba. The accusations came after two Iranian naval vessels docked in Port Sudan on Saturday morning. By extending its naval presence as far as Sudan, Iran can gain control over the Red Sea shipping route, part of the channel through which Tehran ships arms to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.