The United States has accused South Africa’s defence establishment of defying government instructions by allowing Iranian warships to take part in naval exercises off the country’s coast.
In a sharply worded statement, Washington said South Africa could not claim to stand for justice while strengthening ties with Iran, accusing the country’s military leadership of ignoring orders to send the Iranian vessels home.
South Africa’s defence ministry responded by announcing an internal inquiry to investigate what it described as serious allegations surrounding the incident.
The dispute centres on a week-long naval exercise known as Peace Resolve, which began last Friday and is being led by China. The drills involve several members of the Brics+ bloc, including Russia and Iran, and are taking place in South African waters.
The US criticised South Africa for engaging Iran at a time when authorities in Tehran are facing international condemnation for their violent suppression of domestic protests. According to Washington, hosting Iranian warships under these circumstances undermines regional maritime security and contradicts claims of neutrality.
In a statement released by the US embassy in South Africa, officials said they were alarmed by reports that the defence minister and military leadership had failed to act on government instructions to request Iran’s withdrawal from the exercise. The statement argued that South Africa’s actions represented not non-alignment, but an active choice to side with Iran.
Political analyst William Gumede, an associate professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, said the situation highlighted contradictions in South Africa’s foreign policy.
“Human rights groups in South Africa have been calling for solidarity with protesters in Iran, yet there has been silence from the ruling party,” he said. “It is ironic to criticise abuses elsewhere while ignoring what is happening in Iran.”
On Friday, the office of Defence Minister Angie Motshekga said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s instructions had been clearly communicated to all relevant parties and were expected to be fully implemented. The statement did not confirm whether Iranian warships had been ordered to leave South African waters.
Reports indicate that Iranian naval vessels had already docked in Cape Town by the time instructions to turn them back were allegedly issued.
The Peace Resolve drills involve members of Brics+, a coalition of major developing economies originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined the group in 2010, adding the “S” to its name. The bloc has since expanded to include countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
Brics+ positions itself as a counterweight to Western political and economic dominance, promoting closer cooperation among emerging powers.
The controversy has intensified scrutiny of South Africa’s increasingly strained relationship with the United States, particularly as Pretoria deepens military and diplomatic ties with countries viewed by Washington as adversaries.
