China, Russia and Iran on Saturday began a week of joint naval exercises in South Africa’s territorial waters, an operation the host nation described as a BRICS Plus initiative aimed at safeguarding shipping lanes and maritime economic activity. The drills come at a time of heightened geopolitical strain between several BRICS Plus members and the United States, adding political sensitivity to what South African officials insist is a purely military exercise.
The operation, dubbed Exercise WILL FOR PEACE 2026, is being conducted under the expanded BRICS Plus framework, which builds on the original BRICS grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The bloc has since grown to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and is often portrayed by its members as a counterbalance to U.S. and Western economic influence.
South Africa’s military said the exercise is focused on joint maritime safety operations and interoperability drills between participating navies. Lieutenant Colonel Mpho Mathebula, acting spokesperson for joint operations, said all BRICS Plus members had been invited to take part. Chinese military officials at the opening ceremony confirmed that Brazil, Egypt and Ethiopia were participating as observers.
While South Africa has previously conducted naval exercises with both China and Russia, the timing of the drills has attracted attention. Relations between Washington and several BRICS Plus countries, including China, Iran, South Africa and Brazil, have been strained under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump has accused the bloc of pursuing anti-American policies and in January threatened its members with an additional 10 percent trade tariff on top of existing duties.
The exercises have also sparked controversy within South Africa. The Democratic Alliance, the second-largest party in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s governing coalition, criticised the drills as undermining the country’s stated neutrality. In a statement, the party said participation in BRICS military activities had turned South Africa into “a pawn in the power games being waged by rogue states on the international stage.”
Mathebula rejected those claims, insisting the exercise should not be viewed through a political lens. She said South Africa regularly conducts similar drills with a range of international partners, including the United States Navy, and emphasised that the goal was to enhance operational capabilities and information-sharing rather than signal hostility toward any country.
“This is not a political arrangement,” Mathebula said, stressing that the exercise is intended to improve naval readiness and cooperation. Despite official assurances, the presence of China, Russia and Iran operating together off South Africa’s coast is likely to continue fueling debate over the country’s role within the expanding BRICS Plus bloc and its position in an increasingly divided global order.
