Trump's Order to Cut Aid to South Africa, Including Due to Ties with Iran

The President of the United States accused the South African government of violating the rights of its citizens, taking aggressive stances against Israel, and strengthening military and nuclear relations with Iran, and signed an executive order to cut financial aid to that country. Donald Trump, who had announced a few days earlier his decision to cut U.S. aid to South Africa, signed the relevant executive order on the evening of Friday, February 8. According to the text of this order, the United States cannot support South Africa's actions in 'blatantly disregarding the rights of its citizens' and also 'taking aggressive stances' against the U.S. and its allies. The text also mentions the strengthening of South Africa's relations with Iran 'for the development of trade, military, and nuclear arrangements.' Iran and South Africa's relations have expanded in recent years, and in September 2023, Ebrahim Raisi traveled to that country to participate in a BRICS summit. Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa, signed a controversial land expropriation law on January 25, which allows for the free confiscation of agricultural land from certain ethnic minorities. According to Trump's executive order, the approval of this law continues numerous other policies that the South African government has adopted 'to eliminate equal opportunities.' Trump has previously criticized the South African government's action in passing this law several times. Elon Musk, his senior advisor who was born in South Africa, has also accused the country of having 'racist property laws,' claiming that white people are the victims of these laws. A few days ago, Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, also stated that he would not attend the G20 summit being held in South Africa. According to the new South African law, which replaces the 1975 law, the conditions for land expropriation by the government have changed, and the previous principle of 'mutual buying and selling' and payment to the landowner has been abolished. The aim of this law is stated as establishing racial balance in land ownership; however, this law has faced opposition even at the level of the South African government, and opponents have said they will take the matter to court. Supporters of this law argue that more than 30 years after the end of apartheid in South Africa, black people still own a small portion of agricultural land, while white people, who make up about eight percent of the country's population, control 80 percent of this land. Trump's executive order also refers to South Africa's action in opening a case in the International Court of Justice 'which accused Israel, not Hamas, of genocide.' The International Criminal Court, during its investigation of South Africa's complaint, eventually issued arrest warrants on December 1 for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the then Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Israel, as well as a killed commander of the extremist group Hamas named Mohammed Deif.