A draft UN report reviewed by Reuters found that Boeing 727 aircraft linked to a former U.S. military contractor's business network transported weapons, drones, mercenaries, and fighters to Darfur for the UAE-backed RSF militia.

In a covert operation, a force of around 280 fighters, including field commanders, arrived in Khartoum on July 23, 2026, after breaking away from areas controlled by the RSF militia and declaring their allegiance to the Sudanese army.

The Joint Force of armed struggle movements announced on July 12, 2026, that it had regained control of the Bir Saliba area, following clashes with the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces.

The crisis triggered by Iran's second aircraft breaching the air blockade over areas controlled by the Houthis has rapidly escalated beyond a dispute over airspace management and Yemeni sovereignty, becoming one of the most serious flashpoints since the 2022 ceasefire began.

The Sudanese Army’s recapture of Kurmuk reshaped the balance of power in southeastern Sudan, closing an attritional front that the UAE-backed RSF militias had sought to turn into a pressure point against the army.