The head of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, on Tuesday condemned Iran’s missile strike on Qatar, warning it threatened to ignite a broader regional conflict.
In a statement posted on his official social media account, Dagalo described the late-night attack on Al Udeid Air Base near Doha as “a blatant violation of Qatari sovereignty” and a “dangerous provocation that endangers regional peace and stability.”
“We urge the Iranian government to halt its interference in the affairs of neighbouring countries,” Hemedti said. “Disputes must be resolved through diplomacy, not force.”
Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles at the U.S.-operated airbase in Qatar late Monday, according to officials in Doha and Washington. Most of the missiles were intercepted by Qatari air defences, and no casualties were reported.
The strike came hours after the United States and Israel carried out coordinated attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, further inflaming tensions in the region.
Dagalo said the RSF “strongly opposes” any Iranian effort to acquire nuclear weapons, warning it would further destabilise an already volatile Middle East.
“The possession of nuclear arms by Iran would constitute a grave threat to regional and international security,” he said.
The RSF leader, who has spent the past year locked in a bloody conflict with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s army (SAF), also called on the United Nations Security Council and the international community to act swiftly to prevent further escalation.
“The peoples of the region deserve peace, not more war,” he said. “There must be a renewed commitment to dialogue, non-aggression, and respect for sovereignty.”
Dagalo’s remarks came as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other Gulf states also condemned the Iranian attack. The Gulf Cooperation Council is due to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday.
While engaged in a protracted conflict inside Sudan, the RSF has sought to project itself as a key player in regional politics. The group controls much of Darfur and large parts of greater Khartoum, while the SAF retains control of eastern cities including Port Sudan.
The RSF’s alignment with Gulf countries hostile to Iran is widely seen as part of its effort to attract regional support and legitimacy.
Human Rights Watch has accused SAF of launching chemical attacks on civilians in Darfur in recent weeks, claims the SAF denies.
Dagalo has regularly styled himself as an opponent of extremist ideologies and foreign interference.
His latest statement is likely to be read as both a diplomatic move and a bid to raise his international profile at a time when Sudan’s war continues to deepen a humanitarian crisis.