South Africa Justifies Joint Naval Drills With Iran and Russia

• South Africa has initiated naval drills with Russia, China, and Iran to focus on maritime cooperation and safety
• The exercises aim to enhance collective responses against piracy and protect vital shipping lanes
• The drills have drawn criticism both domestically and internationally

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

South Africa has begun a week‑long series of naval drills with Russia, China and Iran off its coast, framing the manoeuvres as a response to growing maritime tensions rather than simply a show of military force.

Naval forces from several BRICS Plus countries

The exercises, known as Will for Peace 2026, were launched on Saturday, 10 January 2026, and are taking place in South African territorial waters near Cape Town. The multinational drills involve naval forces from several BRICS Plus countries, with China leading the operation. The drills are intended to enhance cooperation on maritime safety and operational interoperability among participating navies.

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The deployment follows heightened global tensions, including recent US actions that saw a Russian‑flagged oil tanker seized in the North Atlantic and an American military operation that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power. South African officials have described the timing of the exercise as coincidental but stressed that protecting shipping lanes and maritime economic activity is essential.

Threats such as piracy and disruptions

Warships from China and Iran were reported to have arrived at Simon’s Town naval base in the days leading up to the drills, and a Russian vessel also joined the exercises, which are scheduled to run until 16 January 2026. Observers from other BRICS Plus members, including Brazil, Egypt and Ethiopia, are also taking part, while navies from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and others are expected to be involved under the expanded grouping framework.

South African defence officials have said the exercises aim to strengthen shared procedures for maritime security, deepen cooperation and improve the collective ability to respond to threats such as piracy and disruptions to commercial shipping.

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The drills have drawn criticism both domestically and internationally. South Africa’s main opposition party has argued that military cooperation with Russia and Iran may undermine the country’s non‑aligned foreign policy stance and damage diplomatic relations with Western nations. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has previously labelled BRICS nations’ policies as “anti‑American,” intensifying diplomatic scrutiny around the exercises.

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Source: Briefly News