The United States Embassy in South Africa has said allowing Iranian forces to operate in South African waters is a sign of South Africa choosing to stand with a regime that brutally represses its people and engages in terrorism.
The comments on the Iranian participation in Exercise Will for Peace 2026 were made by the US Embassy on Thursday. “The United States notes with concern and alarm reports that the Minister of Defence and SANDF defied a government order regarding Iran’s participation in the ongoing naval exercises. Iran is a destabilising actor and state sponsor of terror, and its inclusion in joint exercises – in any capacity – undermines maritime security and regional stability,” the US Embassy said.
“It is particularly unconscionable that South Africa welcomed Iranian security forces as they were shooting, jailing, and torturing Iranian citizens engaging in peaceful political activity South Africans fought so hard to gain for themselves. South Africa can’t lecture the world on ‘justice’ while cozying up to Iran.”
Some 2 500 people are estimated to have been killed in recent protests in Iran. On 15 January, the South African Presidency said the government is following the developments in Iran with concern.
“The reports of unrest and the subsequent loss of life are concerning, and South Africa urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint. South Africa firmly believes that the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and freedom of association are universal human rights that must be upheld without exception. We therefore call on the Iranian authorities to ensure that citizens exercise their right to protest in peace. Sustainable peace and stability can only be achieved through solutions that centre the agency of the Iranian people,” the Presidency said.
Iran has sent three vessels to take part in Will for Peace: the Bayandor-class corvette Naghdi (82), the forward base ship Makran (441), carrying an AB-212 ASW helicopter, and expeditionary base ship Shahid Mahdavi (110-3).
The Naghdi was see leaving Simon’s Town naval base on Tuesday, evidently to take part in the sea phase of Will for Peace in spite of reports last weekend that President Cyril Ramaphosa asked Iran to withdraw from the naval exercise and become an observer.
A senior South African official told Daily Maverick on Monday that the defence ministries of all the countries taking part in exercise Will for Peace – notably including the Iranian defence ministry – had agreed that Iran would withdraw from the key sea phase of the exercise, which began on Tuesday.
African Defence Review Director Darren Olivier noted that if Defence and Military Veterans Minister indeed ignored a Presidential order for Iran to withdraw from the exercise, “then South Africa is in unchartered territory.”
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was set to provide insight into Will for Peace during a media briefing on Friday 16 January, but this was cancelled on Thursday, leaving many questions unanswered about Iran’s participation: did Iranian vessels just observe, or actively take part in the exercise?
Some clarity emerged in a statement issued by Siphiwe Dlamini, Head of Communication in the Department of Defence, who on Friday stated that Motshekga would like to place it on record that the instruction on Iran’s participation from the President “on how Exercise Will for Peace 2026 should be conducted” was clearly communicated to all parties concerned, agreed upon and to be implemented and adhered to as such.
Due to the allegations and reports in the media that Iran continued to participate, “the Minister has established a Board of Inquiry (BOI) to look into the circumstances surrounding the allegations and establish whether the instruction of the President may have been misrepresented and/or ignored as issued to all.”
Dlamini stated the BOI must establish all the facts on what took place during the Exercise and table to the Minister in 7 days a report after the completion of the Exercise.
South Africa is under pressure not to raise the ire of the United States by including Iran in the BRICS Plus naval exercise at a time when the US is renegotiating the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), and protests are underway in Iran.
Chris Hattingh, Democratic Alliance (DA) Spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans, said the level of secrecy around Will for Peace is “unacceptable. These are not routine naval visits. They involve sanctioned states and carry real diplomatic and economic risks for South Africa. The Minister of Defence must urgently brief the public and Parliament. South Africans deserve to know who approved these invitations, what legal and sanctions advice was considered, why official communications were contradictory and removed, and why transparency has been abandoned.”
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), on the other hand, support Iran’s participation in Will for Peace. EFF representative Carl Niehaus said the US Embassy’s critique “is a direct interference in our right, in terms of international law and the UN Charter, as a sovereign nation to determine our own foreign policy and international relations. Iran is a member of the BRICS. South Africa should never allow ourselves to be dictated to by the imperialist USA and its fascist President.”
EFF National Chairperson and Chief Whip Nontando Nolutshungu wrote to Motshekga to express “profound outrage and deep concern regarding persistent reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has demanded the withdrawal of the Iranian Navy from the BRICS joint naval exercises…this demand, purportedly driven by a craven fear of retaliation from the imperialist and fascist United States of America, represents a shameful capitulation that undermines our nation’s sovereignty and international standing.”
Nolutshungu also criticised Motshekga and the SANDF for the lack of communication regarding the exercise. Failure to provide answers will “only compound the perception of incompetence and complicity in this fiasco.”
Iran’s participation in Will for Peace is a “disastrous SA foreign policy move,” Jonathan Katzenellenbogen wrote for The Daily Friend. “Iran must have been happy to receive recognition as a friend and ally at a time when it faces international opprobrium over its nuclear weapons programme and human rights abuses.”
He added that South Africa belatedly requested Iran to withdraw from the exercise is likely due to its fear of antagonising the US. “US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a new 25 percent tariff on any country doing business with Iran must have focused the minds of the ANC,” he wrote.
“Relations with the US took a bad turn when SA hosted Russia and China for naval exercises three years ago. And trying to restore normality even while asking the Iranians to withdraw from the exercises will not ease matters.”
Defence analyst Kobus Marais told IOL that Will for Peace is of more value to Russia, China, and Iran to irritate the USA, UK, and EU, “with South Africa as their proverbial useful idiot. We are in no position to irritate and risk our most important trading partners. The three exercise partners are in no position to replace and ‘make up’ for the potential trading losses we could suffer from losing the lucrative export markets of the USA, UK, and EU. Further export and trading losses could damage our economic growth and would most probably lead to further job losses. We can’t afford this at this sensitive time. The contrary should be our objective,” he said.
In addition to Iran, Russia, China, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have sent vessels to South Africa for Will for Peace. China has deployed the Type 052DL guided-missile destroyer Tangshan (122) and the Type 903A replenishment ship Taihu (889). These vessels are part of China’s naval escort taskforce in the Gulf of Aden.
Russia is contributing the Steregushchiy-class corvette Stoikiy (F545), embarked with a Ka-27PL anti-submarine warfare helicopter, along with the Altay-class oiler Yelnya (A168). A Gowind-class corvette of the United Arab Emirates Navy, Bani Yas (P110), is also present.
Will for Peace 2026 officially launched on Saturday 10 January, with an Opening Parade at Naval Base Simon’s Town. The sea phase got underway on 13 January and concluded on the 15th.
According to China’s Ministry of Defence, the sea phase was to see participating vessels conduct drills on communication, formation manoeuvres, maritime strike, hijacked vessel rescue, helicopter-borne patient transfer and treatment, amongst others.
“The exercise aims to further deepen military exchanges and cooperation among participating nations, enhance their collective capacity to address maritime threats, and contribute to jointly safeguarding regional peace and stability and building a community with a shared future for humanity and a maritime community with a shared future,” the Chinese MoD concluded.
