By Johnathan Paoli
South Africa will on Friday start its controversial week-long round of multinational naval exercises with China, Iran, and Russia at Naval Base Simon’s Town.
The games come despite mounting diplomatic unease from the United States and growing domestic criticism over the country’s military readiness and foreign policy direction.
The exercise, officially titled “Exercise Will for Peace 2026”, will run until next week Friday in South African waters, and is being led by China.
Chinese and Iranian warships have already arrived in False Bay, while Russian naval vessels are expected to dock ahead of the formal launch on Saturday, completing a grouping that has placed Pretoria’s claim of international non-alignment under renewed scrutiny.
Two Chinese vessels, the Type 052DL guided-missile destroyer Tangshan and the Type 903A replenishment ship Taihu, were spotted off the Cape coast earlier this week.
They were joined on Thursday by the Iranian Navy’s forward base ship IRIS Makran, a high-profile platform that has previously been deployed on long-range missions beyond the Middle East.
Russian participation is expected to include a corvette and a supply ship, with arrival anticipated shortly.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has described the exercise as a maritime security operation focused on the protection of shipping lanes and economic activity at sea.
According to a statement issued in December, the drills aim to enhance interoperability and cooperation “in support of peaceful maritime security initiatives” and will involve navies from BRICS-Plus countries.
While the drills have been billed as a BRICS-Plus engagement, key BRICS members such as India and Brazil are not participating.
US President Donald Trump has recently accused BRICS countries of pursuing “anti-American” policies, and South Africa’s relations with Washington have already been strained by its close ties with Russia and Iran, and its decision to bring a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over the Gaza war.
South Africa was sharply criticised by Western partners in 2023 for hosting joint naval exercises with Russia and China on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Iran’s participation in the current exercise is likely to intensify those concerns, given Tehran’s ongoing standoff with the United States and its role in regional conflicts in the Middle East.
The DA has raised objections ahead of the opening ceremony, saying that hosting war games with China, Russia and Iran undermines South Africa’s professed non-aligned stance.
DA defence spokesperson Chris Hattingh said the exercise risks drawing South Africa into global power politics while offering little tangible benefit.
Hattingh said hosting the military forces of Iran and Russia is not neutral, adding that Parliament has not been adequately briefed on the costs, command structure or diplomatic consequences of the exercise.
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