Iran, Russia Join BRICS Naval Drills off South Africa

Naval vessels from Iran and Russia have joined a multinational maritime exercise off the coast of South Africa, raising fresh concerns in Washington and signaling a further strain in relations between Africa’s largest economy and the United States.

South Africa’s National Defence Force said late Friday that two Iranian warships,  the destroyer Jamaran and the support vessel Mahdavi, had arrived at the port of Cape Town, alongside the Russian frigate Stoikiy. 

The drills also involve naval units from China, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates, and are being conducted under the umbrella of the expanding BRICS grouping.

The exercises come at a diplomatically sensitive moment for Pretoria, which has been seeking to repair ties with the United States, its second-largest trading partner after China. 

The Biden administration, and more recently President Donald Trump, has repeatedly criticized South Africa’s close political and military engagement with Iran, Russia, and China, particularly as global geopolitical rivalries intensify.

While South African officials insist the maneuvers were planned long in advance, similar BRICS-linked naval drills in the past have drawn sharp reactions from Washington. In 2023, exercises involving South Africa, Russia, and China coincided with the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prompting diplomatic unease in Western capitals.

“This is not the first time we have conducted naval exercises with friendly countries,” Bantu Holomisa, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Defence, said earlier this week in an interview with Newzroom Afrika. “These activities were scheduled long before the current tensions escalated.”

Nevertheless, the inclusion of Iran, which is facing widespread domestic protests and mounting Western pressure, has added a new layer of controversy.

According to South African media outlet News24, Pretoria had attempted to persuade Tehran to take part only as an observer, citing the political sensitivity of Iran’s participation. That effort appears to have failed, with Iranian vessels now fully engaged in the drills.

The naval exercises, dubbed “Will for Peace,” are scheduled to run until January 16. China is leading the operation, deploying two ships, while South Africa and the UAE are each contributing one vessel. Indonesia, Brazil, Egypt, and Ethiopia are attending as observers, officials said during a televised opening ceremony on Saturday.

South African authorities have emphasized that the drills are intended to enhance maritime cooperation and protect key global shipping lanes. The exercises take place as heightened tensions in the Middle East have forced many commercial vessels to divert away from the Suez Canal, instead rounding the Cape of Good Hope, dramatically increasing the strategic importance of waters off southern Africa.