US Slams South Africa for Allowing Iran’s Participation in Naval Drills

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The United States has sharply criticised South Africa over its decision to allow Iran’s participation in ongoing naval exercises, describing the move as deeply troubling and inconsistent with Pretoria’s stated foreign policy principles.

In a strongly worded statement, the U.S said Washington viewed with “concern and alarm” reports that South Africa’s Minister of Defence and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) proceeded with Iran’s involvement in the drills despite an alleged government directive to the contrary.

The United States described Iran as a “destabilising actor and state sponsor of terrorism,” warning that its inclusion in joint military exercises undermines maritime security and regional stability.

The statement linked its problem with Iran’s participation to its domestic human rights record, calling it “particularly unconscionable” that South Africa would host Iranian security forces at a time when Tehran is accused of shooting, jailing and torturing citizens engaged in peaceful political activity.

The U.S. argued that such actions stand in stark contrast to the democratic freedoms South Africans themselves struggled to secure under apartheid.

According to Washington, Pretoria’s engagement with Tehran weakens its moral authority on global justice issues and accused the government of hypocrisy in its international posture.

The United States also rejected South Africa’s likely defence of the move as an expression of non-alignment. Allowing Iranian military forces to operate in South African waters or undertaking high-level solidarity visits to Tehran, the statement argued, goes beyond neutrality.

Instead, the US said it represents a clear choice to associate with a regime accused of brutal repression at home and support for militant activity abroad.

The criticism adds to growing tensions between Washington and Pretoria over South Africa’s foreign policy direction, particularly its engagement with countries viewed by the U.S. as adversarial.

Vessels from China, Iran, Russia and the United Arab Emirates sailed into waters off Cape Town around a week ago to take part in the exercises as part of the BRICS grouping of nations.

Reports said the South Africa government had sought to have Iran drop out of the China-led drill, which is taking place amid a crackdown in Iran that activists say left thousands dead.

However, it was unclear to what extent the Iranian vessels were involved in the exercises, which were justified by the South African navy as necessary to “ensure the safety of shipping lanes and maritime economic activities.”

Before now, the Trump administration had accused South Africa of anti-American policies and boycotted its G20 summit in November, also imposing 30 per cent trade tariffs.

“The United States notes with concern and alarm reports that the Minister of Defense 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. 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.

“And permitting Iranian military forces to operate in South African waters — or going to Tehran and expressing solidarity — isn’t ‘non-alignment’: it’s choosing to stand with a regime that brutally represses its people and engages in terrorism,” the statement added.