A Russian warship arrived off South Africa’s main naval base Friday to join Chinese and Iranian vessels for military exercises, a move that could further strain Pretoria’s relationship with Washington. The exercises involve nations that have disagreements with the U.S. administration and come amid heightened global tensions.
“Will for Peace 2026” Naval Exercises Begin
A Chinese destroyer and replenishment ship, along with an Iranian forward base vessel, arrived in South African waters earlier this week ahead of the week-long maneuvers scheduled to begin this weekend. AFP journalists observed the Russian-flagged corvette vessel entering False Bay.
The China-led “Will for Peace 2026” drill includes navies from the 11-nation BRICS group of emerging economies. U.S. President Donald Trump has previously labeled the BRICS group as “anti-American.”
The United Arab Emirates is also expected to participate, according to South Africa’s Deputy Defense Minister Bantu Holomisa. Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Brazil will send observers, Holomisa said. The remaining BRICS members are India, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
South Africa’s defense force stated the exercise will allow the navies “to exchange best practices and improve joint operational capabilities, which contributes to the safety of shipping routes and overall regional maritime stability.”
Global Tensions and Exercise Timing
Holomisa said the timing of the drill was planned before “these tensions we are witnessing today,” and were initially scheduled for November 2025 but postponed due to a clash with the G20 summit in Johannesburg. The United States boycotted the G20 summit and expelled the South African ambassador last year, also imposing 30% trade tariffs.
Washington this week seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker it alleged was part of a shadow fleet carrying oil for countries including Venezuela, Russia, and Iran. The U.S. has also threatened action against Iran amid growing protests over the rising cost of living.
A South African Defense Ministry spokesman stated the joint drills have “nothing to do with Venezuela whatsoever.” Holomisa added, “Let us not press panic buttons because the USA has got a problem with countries…Those are not our enemies.” He emphasized the importance of cooperating with BRICS nations to ensure the safety of shipping routes in the Indian Ocean and Atlantic.
Political Implications and Criticism
Priyal Singh, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, said, “Washington has clearly been attempting to put Pretoria in its bad book since the beginning of the current Trump administration.” He believes the upcoming naval exercise will likely be used by U.S. policymakers as justification to review bilateral relations with South Africa.
Ukrainian protesters criticized South Africa for hosting the Russian Navy, citing the destruction of their city, Kherson. “We’re just asking South Africa to not cooperate militarily with Russia because Russia is an aggressive state,” said Kateryna Fedkina.
South Africa’s Democratic Alliance party argued it was misleading to characterize the drills as part of BRICS cooperation, noting the absence of Brazil and India. The party stated the government was “choosing closer military ties with rogue and sanctioned states such as Russia and Iran.”
Sarang Shidore, director of the Global South Program at the U.S.-based Quincy Institute, said the exercise marks BRICS’ increased emphasis on security issues. He added that the participation of the four BRICS states with “serious diplomatic or security differences with the United States” sends a “wider geopolitical signal.”
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