South Africa Once Again Probes Military Over Ties With Iran After Naval Exercises

South Africa has launched a formal inquiry after Iranian warships reportedly took part in a joint naval exercise, defying President Cyril Ramaphosa’s orders and marking a striking repeat of the military challenging the government’s more cautious approach to Iran.

Last week, China, Russia, and Iran began a week-long joint naval exercise off Cape Town, which South Africa said was intended to “ensure the safety of shipping lanes and maritime economic activities.”

However, local media reported that Ramaphosa had ordered the withdrawal of Iranian warships from the drills, citing concerns that their participation — coming amid Tehran’s deadly crackdown on widespread anti-government protests — could damage South Africa’s efforts to strengthen ties with the United States and secure Washington’s support.

On Friday, South Africa’s Defense Ministry confirmed that a board of inquiry would examine “whether the instruction of the president may have been misrepresented and/or ignored” in connection with Iran’s participation in the naval exercises.

Washington sharply condemned Iran’s participation in the drills as “particularly unconscionable,” citing the country’s escalating and violent crackdown on protesters.

“Iran is a destabilizing actor and state sponsor of terror, and its inclusion in joint exercises — in any capacity — undermines maritime security and regional stability,” the US embassy in South Africa wrote in a post on Facebook.

“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 South Africans fought so hard to gain for themselves,” the statement read.

Amid violent clashes between protesters and security forces across Iran, US President Donald Trump has threatened intervention if the regime’s deadly crackdown on mass demonstrations continues, as the government confronts an unprecedented domestic crisis.

This latest controversy marks the second time South Africa’s military has come under fire for seemingly defying the government’s official stance on Iran in recent months, raising concerns about growing tensions between the armed forces and civilian leadership.

Last year, South Africa’s army chief faced domestic backlash after pledging military and political support to Iran during a diplomatic visit, prompting government officials to distance themselves from his remarks over concerns they could harm Pretoria’s efforts to strengthen ties with the United States.

During a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart, Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya — chief of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) — called for deeper ties between the two nations, especially in defense cooperation. 

“The Republic of South Africa and the Islamic Republic of Iran have common goals. We always stand alongside the oppressed and defenseless people of the world,” the South African general said.

Shortly after Maphwanya’s remarks drew media attention, the South African government moved to distance itself from his comments, with the Foreign Affairs Ministry stating that such views “do not represent the government’s official foreign policy stance.”

At the time, Members of South Africa’s governing coalition denounced Maphwanya for his trip to Tehran, describing his remarks as “reckless grandstanding.”

The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s second-largest party in the governing coalition, had called for Maphwanya to be court-martialed for breaking neutrality and violating military law, saying his comments had gone “beyond military-to-military discussions and entered the realm of foreign policy.”