₦airaland Forum

South Africa's defence ministry has launched a probe into Iran's participation in the BRICS+ naval exercises held near Cape Town this week, after reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa had asked Iran to withdraw to avoid antagonizing the United States.

There has been confusion over the past week over Iran's role in the drills, which also included Russia and China. A Reuters witness saw three Iranian ships in the False Bay area every day with the other vessels, but the defence ministry has not clarified what they were doing.

South African news outlets Daily Maverick and News24 reported that Ramaphosa had ordered Iran to be withdrawn from the exercises due to concerns about the damage its participation could do to South Africa's shaky relationship with Washington.

The inquiry will seek to determine whether Ramaphosa's instructions were misrepresented and/or ignored, the defence ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Defence Minister Angie Motshekga told Reuters it was untrue that the defence force had defied presidential orders, without giving further details. Ramaphosa's office has declined to comment.

The exercises came at a particularly sensitive time as U.S. lawmakers were considering whether to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act, a preferential trade programme for some African countries. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill on Monday, though there is still a possibility that South Africa could be excluded.

The U.S. Embassy in South Africa posted on social media on Thursday that it had noted with "concern and alarm" the reports about Iran's participation in the exercises.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been threatening to intervene in Iran if a deadly crackdown on mass protests, which appear to be abating, continues.

BRICS+ is an expansion of a geopolitical bloc originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - and seen by members as a counterweight to U.S. and Western economic dominance - that now includes several other countries including Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

The exercises were described by South Africa as an operation to "ensure the safety of shipping and maritime economic activities".

dangermouse:
America is the one and only super power for a reason and would continue to be so for a loooong time.

Power belongs to the people and will always belong to them no matter what.

The people will eventually get their power back from leaders who oppressed them in any guise.

dangermouse:
America is the one and only super power for a reason and would continue to be so for a loooong time.

Power belongs to the people and will always belong to them no matter what.

The people will eventually get their power back from leaders who oppressed them in any guise.

zinaunreal:
Go and sit down jor. America is a struggling 3rd world country that only depends on violence to stay relevant. Their only language is destruction. Their innovative era is over and they can never compete. They know it, the world knows it.

nairalanda1:
Third world countries don't send men to the moon, do advanced medical and enginerring research, send probes to distant planets, manufacture advanced tech, have the ability to project their armed forces around the world, and so forth.

This doesn't excuse american imperalism tho.

zinaunreal:
That is what America should be focused on right now not creating wars and havoc. Killing people every year is their hobby home and away. Now compare that to China.

dangermouse:
America is the one and only super power for a reason and would continue to be so for a loooong time.

Power belongs to the people and will always belong to them no matter what.

The people will eventually get their power back from leaders who oppressed them in any guise.

zinaunreal:
Go and sit down jor. America is a struggling 3rd world country that only depends on violence to stay relevant. Their only language is destruction. Their innovative era is over and they can never compete. They know it, the world knows it.

nairalanda1:
LOL....in reality they should. But the thing about human history is that nations all like to show how powerful they are. Including that china you are praising. (and the chinese too are partly responsible for some atrocities of their own).

It's the name of the game. Every country as soon as they have power want to dominate other countires. That is why we have the UN. UN may look useless, but when we didn't have the UN, things were much much worse.

zinaunreal:
Go and sit down jor. America is a struggling 3rd world country that only depends on violence to stay relevant. Their only language is destruction. Their innovative era is over and they can never compete. They know it, the world knows it.

KayaMaghan:
I always laugh when I see people saying America is not the Greatest superpower.

Truth is, no nation comes close to the vicinity.
People only talk because America is the one country they can talk about. And America, as the top dog, does not need to respond to any false narrative or explain itself.

If not for America, una for see shege for all these superpower-wannabes hands.

It's why I will always choose America over Russia or China; colonist masters or not.
Thank God for America.

platymus:
Everyone speaks with facts available to them per time! Questions for you:
1. How is America a 3rd world country?
2.How do they depend on violence? Give three valid cases for your answer
3. Provide evidences that their innovation time is over and list at three countries that surpasses the U.S in major recent tech innovations such as Quantum technology,Space technology,A.I

We await you replies sir
note: I didn't throw any insult just what that we comment with fact not emotion

zinaunreal:
As you have asked this questions, use Google to answer it yourself there are lots of references that clearly point out the answers. You're asking me? About quantum tech and space tech like that put food on the table for Americans living paycheck to paycheck with expensive healthcare system. Let them continue with their AI and Quantum brouhaha and let people live in peace

platymus:
You said they a third world country and their time of innovation is past then validate your claim! Give the references lets see. Expensive health care system is not part of the debated subject here
Drop your said references. Don't tell me to Google it

Commonguy:
Make America rest jare.. they're not the most powerful in the world