The US Embassy in South Africa has slammed Pretoria for supporting Iran while it cracks down on anti-government protesters by allowing Iranian warships into South African waters of False Bay in Cape Town for naval exercises, which also include Russia and China.
Iran vowed on Thursday to defend itself against any foreign threat, after US President Donald Trump said he would “watch it and see” regarding military action over the crackdown on protesters.
The presence of three Iranian warships off False Bay has drawn international attention to South Africa, raising concerns about political costs for its allies.
US slams SA
In a post on X, the US Embassy in South Africa expressed concern about South Africa’s decision to allow Iran to participate in naval exercises.
“The United States notes with concern and alarm reports that the Minister of Defence and SANDF defied a government order regarding Iran’s participation in the ongoing naval exercises. Iran is a destabilising actor and state sponsor of terror, and its inclusion in joint exercises – in any capacity – undermines maritime security and regional stability.”
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SA ‘welcoming Iran’
The embassy said it is particularly “unconscionable” that South Africa welcomed Iranian security forces as they were “shooting, jailing and torturing” Iranian citizens engaging in peaceful political activity, for which South Africans fought so hard to gain for themselves.
“South Africa can’t lecture the world on ‘justice’ while cosying up to Iran.
“And permitting Iranian military forces to operate in South African waters — or going to Tehran and expressing solidarity — isn’t ‘non-alignment’: it’s choosing to stand with a regime that brutally represses its people and engages in terrorism,” the embassy said.
Damaging relations
Earlier this week, defence analyst Helmoed-Römer Heitman told The Citizen that including Iran risked damaging relations with key trading partners in Europe and the United States (US).
Heitman said while South Africa will feel the impact of exercising with Iran, Iran will not feel the pinch.
“They wanted to make the political point that they had a friend somewhere. There’s nobody in their region who likes them. You know, the Saudi, Oman, UAE, maybe Qatar and Kuwait. They all regard Iran as an aggressor and a bully.
“Then, of course, America and Europe don’t much like Iran. So for them, it was a political thing. You know, there’s somebody in the world who likes us and will welcome us and hug us, and whatever they’ve achieved, whether they participate or not,” Heitman said.
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Too late, she cried
Heitman said for South Africa, the “damage has been done”.
“From a South African point of view, that old novel phrase ‘too late she cried’, the damage was done when the Iranians arrived here. It’s too late now, as far as opinion in America, and maybe Europe, is concerned. It just painted us in that corner with Iran and the others.
Pretoria concerned
A government source earlier confirmed to SABC News that Iran had been asked to withdraw from the drills, only for the SANDF to later post a now-deleted Facebook statement saying the Iranian corvette Naghdi participated in the sea-phase exercise.
On Thursday, the Presidency issued its own statement expressing concern about developments in Iran and urging both restraint and for authorities there to ensure that citizens exercise their right to protest in peace.
Peaceful protest
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the South African government is following the developments in Iran with “concern”.
“The reports of unrest and the subsequent loss of life are concerning, and South Africa urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint. South Africa firmly believes that the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and freedom of association are universal human rights that must be upheld without exception.
“We therefore call on the Iranian authorities to ensure that citizens exercise their right to protest in peace,” Magwenya said.
Reporting Iran
On Wednesday, the DA called on International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola to report Iran to the United Nations Human Rights Council over the deaths of protesters.
In a letter to Lamola, DA MP and international relations spokesperson Ryan Smith said that Iran should be reported for flagrant human rights abuses in its attempts to suppress the current uprising.
The Citizen has contacted both the SANDF and the International Relations Department for comment, but has not yet received a response.
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