South Africa begun a week‑long multinational naval exercise with Russia, China, Iran and several other BRICS‑aligned states off the coast of Cape Town at the weekend, drawing renewed scrutiny from the United States as Pretoria deepens military cooperation with Washington’s geopolitical rivals.
The drills, dubbed “Will for Peace 2026,” began on Saturday and involve destroyers from China and Iran, corvette vessels from Russia and the United Arab Emirates and a South African frigate.
Indonesia, Ethiopia and Brazil are attending as observers.
South African officials say the exercises are designed to strengthen maritime security and operational coordination among BRICS and BRICS‑Plus navies.
“In an increasingly complex maritime environment, cooperation such as this is not an option, it is essential,” said Thamaha.
The exercises aim to protect shipping lanes and safeguard maritime economic activity, he added.
The operation comes days after the United States seized a Venezuela‑linked Russian oil tanker in the North Atlantic, accusing it of violating Western sanctions.
The timing of the latest naval drills has heightened geopolitical sensitivities, particularly as Washington has repeatedly warned Pretoria about its growing alignment with Moscow, Beijing and Tehran.
South Africa’s defence ties with Russia and China have been a persistent source of friction with the US.
Washington criticised Pretoria for hosting joint naval drills with the two countries in 2023, held on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The three nations first conducted joint exercises in 2019.
The US has also accused the expanded BRICS bloc – now including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Indonesia – of pursuing “anti‑American” policies.
It has warned that member states could face additional tariffs on top of existing global duties.
Tensions have deepened further after South Africa brought a case against Israel, a key US ally, at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of genocide in Gaza.
Washington has also expressed concern over Pretoria’s diplomatic warmth toward Iran and Russia, including high‑level engagements and defence cooperation.
APA