SIMON’S TOWN, South Africa: South Africa on Saturday began naval drills with Russia, Iran and China, describing the manoeuvres off its coast as not merely a show of force but a vital response to rising maritime tensions.
The week-long ‘Will for Peace 2026’ exercises come just days after the United States seized a Russian?flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, saying it carried crude bound for Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of Western sanctions.
The seizure followed an American raid that toppled Moscow’s ally Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. The drills -- led by China -- were more than a military exercise and a statement of intent among the BRICS group of emerging nations, Captain Nndwakhulu Thomas Thamaha, South Africa’s joint taskforce commander, told the opening Ceremony.
