South Africa Says Joint Naval Drills with China, Russia and Iran Are “Essential”
Edited By: Africa Eye ( With AFP)
South Africa’s navy on Saturday launched joint naval exercises with vessels from China, Russia and Iran, drills that Pretoria insists are not a show of force but a necessary response to rising maritime tensions.
The exercises, dubbed “Will for Peace 2026”, are being led by China and are open to members of the expanded BRICS+ group. The week-long manoeuvres bring together several countries viewed by Washington as strategic adversaries.
South African authorities stressed that the drills aim to strengthen cooperation in the face of growing challenges to maritime security rather than to send a political or military signal.
“These exercises are a demonstration of our collective determination to work together,” said Captain Nndwakhulu Thomas Thamaha, one of the commanders of the joint task force deployed for the operation.
“In an increasingly complex maritime environment, such cooperation is not optional — it is essential,” he added.
According to Thamaha, the manoeuvres are designed to ensure the security of maritime trade routes and economic activities at sea, including training in navigation safety and coordinated responses to potential threats.
The drills come amid heightened geopolitical tensions. They began shortly after the United States seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, which Washington said was carrying crude destined for Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of Western sanctions.
That seizure followed closely on the heels of a dramatic U.S. military operation in Caracas that resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, further fueling international tensions.
Pretoria has rejected suggestions that the exercises are linked to these developments, maintaining that the naval drills had been planned well in advance and reflect South Africa’s commitment to multilateral cooperation and maritime security.
