China, Russia, Iran send warships to South Africa for Brics 'Will for Peace' 2026 drills

Key Highlights

• A spokesperson for South Africa’s armed forces said participation details will be confirmed during the drills, which are scheduled to continue until next Friday. More from World Xi Jinping's new headache: After zero inflation in 2025, is China heading to a deflation year Trump says he will meet Machado next week and would accept Nobel Peace Prize she wants to share with himShips gather at strategic baseChinese, Russian and Iranian vessels have been seen entering and leaving the harbour serving South Africa’s main naval base at Simon’s Town, south of Cape Town, where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic.
• Among the Chinese vessels is the 161-meter destroyer Tangshan.
• South Africa also hosted Chinese and Russian ships for naval exercises in 2023. Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa said the United Arab Emirates is expected to send ships, while Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Brazil will participate as observers.
• The remaining Brics members include India, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. According to the South African navy, the exercises will enable participating forces to share best practices and improve joint operational capabilities, contributing to the safety of shipping routes and overall maritime stability in the region. Originally, the drills were planned for late November but were postponed due to the G20 summit hosted by South Africa at the same time. Diplomatic implicationsThe exercises are expected to further complicate relations between the US and South Africa.
• As Africa’s most advanced economy and a leading voice for the continent, South Africa has faced criticism from the Trump administration, and the presence of militaries from China, Russia, and Iran is likely to draw scrutiny from Washington. US President Donald Trump said in an executive order in February that South Africa supports “bad actors on the world stage” and singled out its ties with Iran as one of the reasons for the US cutting funding to the country.