South Africa to host BRICS naval exercise amid strained relationship with the US

South Africa’s increasingly delicate balancing act between Western partners and its BRICS allies is back in focus as foreign warships assemble in Cape Town for a multinational naval exercise led by China.

The drill, dubbed Will for Peace 2026, will run from 9 to 16 January and is being hosted by the South African Navy, reports Bloomberg.

According to the South African National Defence Force, the exercise aims to demonstrate a shared commitment to protecting maritime trade routes and enhancing cooperation.

Beijing will take the lead role, while Pretoria has yet to confirm the full list of participating countries ahead of a media briefing scheduled for Friday.

A Chinese destroyer docked at Simon’s Town naval base on Wednesday, and social media images this week showed a Russian frigate and a supply vessel heading south along Africa’s west coast toward Cape Town.

Iranian participation remains unconfirmed. However, last month the Tehran Times reported that Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, commander of the Naval Force of the Iranian Army, confirmed that flotillas had set sail to Cape Town.

According to him, the country aims to strengthen “defence and marine diplomacy” and safeguard Iran against “multidimensional threats” through “strategic resistance”.

“We take pride in the fact that the products and equipment used are entirely Iranian and align with our national naval strategies and methods.”

The flotillas are believed to include ships equipped with military drones that have not yet been publicly demonstrated, adding international scrutiny to the maneuvers.

Exercise Mosi III follows the controversial Mosi II, when Russia deployed the Admiral Gorshkov, a frigate capable of firing hypersonic Zircon missiles.

While the SANDF describes such exercises as routine “Passex” drills for communication, helicopter manoeuvres, and logistical replenishment, the geopolitical optics remain sensitive, particularly with the United States.

The gathering is likely to reignite tensions with Washington, at a time when relations between South Africa and the United States remain strained nearly a year after President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

South Africa has drawn US criticism for its close ties with Russia and a range of other policies, including its decision to bring a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over the Gaza war.

South Africa faced sharp criticism from the US and the European Union when it hosted a similar BRICS naval drill in 2023, which coincided with the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

On top of that, Trump has accused countries in the BRICS group of emerging nations of “anti-American” policies.

Pretoria’s diplomatic engagement with Iran has been a particular irritant for US officials, and any confirmed Iranian role in the exercise would further test the relationship.

Reactions

Domestically, the exercise has also drawn political fire.

The Democratic Alliance warned that the inclusion of Russia and Iran would erode South Africa’s claims of non-alignment, noting that the government has recently cancelled joint military exercises with the United States.

“South Africa’s defence and foreign policy must be transparent, constitutional and principled,” DA defence spokesperson Chris Hattingh told Bloomberg.

“They cannot be quietly reshaped through military exercises that contradict our stated neutrality and damage our standing internationally.”

Hattingh argues this path places South Africa’s democratic partnerships at risk, particularly after Iran’s president described the country as being in a “state of war” with Western powers.

President Cyril Ramaphosa previously denied any military cooperation with Iran following a controversial visit to Tehran by SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya in August.

“We have no military operations with Iran,” Ramaphosa said at the time, while acknowledging that the timing of the visit was poor given geopolitical tensions.

Confirmation that Iran will participate in Exercise Mosi III — marking the first time alongside Russia and China — appears to contradict those assurances.

The DA said it will “demand full transparency on all military exercises involving sanctioned states” and seek urgent parliamentary oversight over defence policy.

Hattingh argues this path places South Africa’s democratic partnerships at risk, particularly after Iran’s president described the country as being in a “state of war” with Western powers.