China, Iran, and Russia conducted naval exercises in South African waters over the weekend, operations Pretoria said were a response to rising maritime tensions.
The week-long exercises — which include other BRICS+ members that US President Donald Trump accuses of pursuing “anti-American” policies — were fiercely criticized by many politicians in South Africa: One of the parties in the governing coalition said they “contradict [the country’s] stated neutrality.”
They also illustrate the balancing act South Africa is attempting to carry out on the global stage, aiming to defuse widening tensions with Washington over trade and Pretoria’s support for genocide charges against Israel over the Gaza war, while maintaining strong ties with, for example, Beijing, its biggest trading partner.
