News24 | US Embassy slams SA for allowing Iranian vessels into its waters for naval drill

Iranian Bayandor-class corvette IRIS Naghdi (Hull 82) leaves Simonstown harbour during the Will for Peace naval exercise hosted by South Africa on Tuesday 13 January 2026.

The US Embassy in Pretoria on Thursday accused South Africa of supporting Iran while it violently represses pro-democracy protests by allowing Iranian vessels into South African waters for a multi-national naval drill.

“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,” the mission said in a post on X.

“Iran is a destabilizing actor and state sponsor of terror, and its inclusion in joint exercises – in any capacity – undermines maritime security and regional stability.”

It added that it was “particularly unconscionable” that South Africa hosted 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.”

Permitting Iranian warships to operate in South African waters was not in line with the country’s foreign policy of non-alignment, the embassy said.

“It’s choosing to stand with a regime that brutally represses its people and engages in terrorism.”

READ | Did Motshekga defy Ramaphosa on Iran’s role in BRICS naval drill?

The South African government did not immediately respond to the statement. President Cyril Ramaphosa last week instructed Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga not to allow Iran to participate in the naval drill but to assume observer status instead. Yet there has been every indication that Iranian vessels participated in the sea phase of the exercise this week.

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