China is the lead nation in the “Will for Peace 2026” drill involving navies from the 11-nation BRICS group of emerging nations which US President Donald Trump has labelled “anti-American”.
Warships from China, Russia and Iran arrived in South African waters on Friday to take part in a week-long naval exercise off the coast of Cape Town amid rising tensions following US actions in Venezuela and the seizure of tankers carrying Venezuelan oil.
China is the lead nation in the “Will for Peace 2026” drill involving navies from the 11-nation BRICS group of emerging nations which US President Donald Trump has labelled “anti-American”. South Africa’s armed forces said that the drills, led by China and organised under the Brics bloc last year are aimed at bringing member countries together to practice maritime safety and anti-piracy operations while strengthening cooperation. China, Russia and South Africa are founding Brics members with Iran joining the group in 2024.
It is unclear whether other Brics nations including Brazil, India and the United Arab Emirates will take part. 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.
Ships gather at strategic base
Chinese, 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 implications
The 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. China and Russia have often used Brics forums to launch criticism of the US and the West.
South Africa has long claimed it follows a nonaligned foreign policy and remains neutral, but Russian presence on the southern tip of Africa has strained its relationship with the US before. The Biden administration accused South Africa in 2023 of allowing a sanctioned Russian ship to dock at the Simon’s Town naval base and load weapons to be taken to Russia for the war in Ukraine. South Africa denied the allegation.
South Africa’s willingness to host Russian and Iranian warships has also been criticised inside the country. The Democratic Alliance, the second biggest political party in the coalition government, said it was opposed to hosting drills that included “heavily sanctioned” Russia and Iran.
“Calling these drills ‘BRICS cooperation’ is a political trick to soften what is really happening: Government is choosing closer military ties with rogue and sanctioned states such as Russia and Iran,” the Democratic Alliance said.
With inputs from agencies
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