South Africa has hailed the landmark US‑Iran agreement to permanently end military operations, calling the Memorandum of Understanding a decisive step toward peace, stability, and respect for international law in the Middle East.
The US and Iran electronically signed a memorandum of understanding to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
MoU
US President Donald Trump and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the deal on Wednesday, meant to end the Middle East war, with Tehran agreeing to dilute its enriched uranium in return for large-scale economic relief and a $300 billion (R4.9 trillion) reconstruction fund backed by nations across the region.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said late on Wednesday that the agreement had gone into effect.
Military operations
Pretoria welcomed the signing of the agreement, declaring the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, as well as the undertaking not to initiate any war or any military operation, and to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other.
“South Africa urges all regional actors to respect the de-escalation of military conflict and work towards the full implementation of the MoU and the conclusion of a final agreement.”
Optimism
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola was optimistic about the agreement.
“The agreement between the United States and Iran, hopefully, ends the unlawful use of force and violations of the UN Charter in this war. South Africa has consistently called for international disputes to be settled by negotiation – not war.
“All countries, particularly developing countries, have felt the economic repercussions of this war. This MoU thus provides the framework for durable peace and regional stability in the Middle East as it reaffirms the need for peace and the respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States,” Lamola said.
Strait of Hormuz
The international relations department said, consistent with South Africa’s view, the MoU provides an opportunity to address all outstanding areas within the framework of multilateralism, through the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations Security Council.
“The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is critical to stabilise the volatility in global oil markets and to alleviate the energy and food security challenges faced by developing countries in order to reverse its adverse impact on growth and recovery trajectories.
“Furthermore, the undertaking to terminate all types of sanctions against Iran is also welcomed as it will bring about relief to the Iranian people following decades of hardship,” Dirco said.
Honest brokers
Pretoria also expressed its appreciation to Pakistan, the Sultanate of Oman, and Qatar, as well as other countries that played a “positive role” in the process, for their dedicated and steadfast commitment to dialogue and constructive engagement.
“We recall the words of our late president Nelson Mandela: ‘No problem is so deep that it cannot be overcome, given the will of all parties, through discussion and negotiation rather than force and violence.’”
The international relations department encourages all parties to work towards achieving a just and lasting peace, stability and development in the Middle East and beyond.
