CAPE TOWN, South Africa — In a significant display of naval cooperation, warships from China, Russia, and Iran commenced joint maritime exercises with South Africa’s navy on Friday. The week-long drills, occurring off the strategic Cape Town coast where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans converge, underscore evolving geopolitical alliances amid heightened tensions with Western powers.
The maneuvers, organized under the BRICS framework of developing nations, were originally scheduled for November but postponed due to diplomatic considerations during South Africa’s hosting of the G20 summit. South African military officials describe the operations as focusing on maritime security protocols and anti-piracy tactics, emphasizing their goal to ‘deepen cooperation’ among participating nations.
Notable vessels participating include China’s 161-meter destroyer Tangshan and Russia’s Stoikiy warship accompanied by a support tanker from the Baltic Fleet. The exercises mark the second consecutive year of such cooperation, following similar drills in 2023.
The participation occurs against a complex backdrop: Iran joins despite ongoing domestic protests against its leadership, while all participating nations face varying degrees of Western sanctions. The BRICS bloc, which expanded in 2024 to include Iran alongside core members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has frequently served as a platform for criticizing American foreign policy.
These developments have exacerbated strains in U.S.-South African relations, with the Trump administration previously accusing Pretoria of supporting ‘bad actors on the world stage’ and specifically citing its Iranian ties when cutting aid. The Biden administration further escalated tensions in 2023 by alleging South Africa permitted a sanctioned Russian vessel to load weapons for Ukraine conflict at Simon’s Town naval base—charges South Africa denies.
Domestically, the governing coalition faces criticism from the Democratic Alliance, the second-largest party, which condemns the hosting of ‘heavily sanctioned’ nations and characterizes the BRICS branding as a ‘political trick’ masking military alignment with controversial regimes.