Warships from Iran and Russia have dropped anchor off South Africa’s coast to take part in multinational naval exercises, a move that threatens to further strain already fragile relations between Africa’s largest economy and the United States.
Two Iranian vessels, the destroyer Jamaran and the warship Mahdavai, have arrived in Cape Town alongside Russia’s destroyer Stoikiy, according to a statement from the South African National Defence Force. They join ships from China, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates in a display of maritime cooperation that is drawing sharp international attention.
The drills come at an awkward moment for Pretoria, which has been attempting to repair ties with Washington, its second-largest trading partner after China.
The Trump administration has openly criticised South Africa’s growing closeness to Iran, Russia and China, and previous versions of these exercises, organised under the banner of the BRICS group of emerging economies, have already provoked rebukes from the US.
South Africa’s Deputy Defence Minister, Bantu Holomisa, insisted the operation was long planned and routine, telling local television that the country was merely conducting exercises with friendly nations.
Behind the scenes, however, officials reportedly tried to persuade Iran, which is grappling with widespread protests at home, to reduce its role to that of an observer, a request said to have been rebuffed.
The operation, named “Will for Peace”, runs until 16 January and is being led by China, which has dispatched two vessels. South Africa and the United Arab Emirates each have one ship participating, while countries including Indonesia, Brazil, Egypt and Ethiopia are attending as observers.
Unlike previous editions, which were limited to South Africa, China and Russia, this year’s exercise reflects the newly expanded BRICS bloc, which now counts eleven member states.
Domestic criticism has also surfaced. The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s second-largest political party, warned that hosting Russia and Iran undermines the government’s claim of non-alignment, particularly after South Africa cancelled planned joint military exercises with the United States.
Officials in Pretoria argue the drills are designed to strengthen cooperation and safeguard vital maritime trade routes. That justification carries extra weight as tensions in the Middle East have pushed many commercial vessels away from the Suez Canal, diverting them instead around the Cape of Good Hope near Cape Town.