The US embassy in Pretoria has condemned South Africa for allowing Iran to join naval exercises in False Bay, despite government orders to exclude it. Officials labeled Iran a state sponsor of terror, arguing the move undermines regional stability. South Africa has urged Iran to permit peaceful protests amid its crackdown on dissent.
The joint naval exercise Will for Peace, involving ships from South Africa, Iran, Russia, China, and the United Arab Emirates, concluded off Simon’s Town on Thursday. Reports indicate that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and Defence Minister Angie Motshekga defied presidential directives to bar Iran from participating. A senior government source revealed that last weekend, Pretoria secured agreements from all participating defence ministries, including Iran's, for Iran to withdraw, aiming to avoid straining relations with the US and jeopardizing inclusion in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Despite this, the Iranian corvette Naghdi joined the sea phase, as confirmed by a now-deleted SANDF Facebook post. The US embassy expressed 'concern and alarm' on X, stating: '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.' It further criticized South Africa for welcoming Iranian forces amid their suppression of protests, adding: 'South Africa can’t lecture the world on ‘justice’ while cosying up to Iran.'
Senator Jim Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, echoed this, calling South Africa an 'adversary of America' and urging strong US action. This follows a 2025 visit by SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya to Tehran, where he expressed solidarity with Iran.
In response, South Africa's Presidency issued a statement on Thursday, expressing concern over Iran's unrest: 'South Africa urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint' and calling for the right to peaceful protest. The SANDF cancelled a scheduled media briefing on the exercise aboard the frigate SAS Amatola. The incident raises questions about civilian control over the military, amid ongoing protests in Iran where rights groups report over 500 deaths.
