US Criticizes South Africa for Allowing Iranian Warships to Participate in Exercises Amidst Protest Crackdown

On Thursday, January 25, the United States criticized South Africa for allowing Iranian warships to participate in a naval exercise in its waters, especially as the death toll from the brutal and weeks-long crackdown on protesters by the Iranian government continues to rise. In a brief statement released by the US Embassy in South Africa, the US government stated that South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise had defied her government's directive regarding not allowing Iran to participate in naval exercises. The statement read: 'Iran is a destabilizing actor and a state sponsor of terrorism, and its presence in joint exercises - under any pretext - undermines maritime security and regional stability.' A new wave of widespread protests in Iran has been ongoing for over three weeks amidst economic troubles, including rampant inflation, against the Islamic regime. International human rights groups and citizen journalists have documented the killings, repression, and widespread and arbitrary arrests of protesters by government forces. The United States stated that South Africa 'has chosen to stand alongside a regime that brutally suppresses its own people and is involved in terrorism.' The US Embassy's statement said: 'South Africa's welcome to Iranian security forces - especially while they are shooting, imprisoning, and torturing Iranian citizens participating in peaceful political activities - is unacceptable. South Africa cannot preach justice to the world while being cozy with Iran.' The South African Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that Modise has formed an investigative committee to look into the matter and determine whether the directive from Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa, 'may have been miscommunicated or disregarded as it was communicated to all.' This exercise, titled 'Exercise Will for Peace 2026,' began on January 9 and includes naval forces from Russia, China, and other BRICS member countries. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has previously warned several times about the massacre of protesters against the Islamic Republic and its repressive apparatus.