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3d ago

China-Led Naval Drills With Russia and Iran Underway Off South Africa

South Africa casts the BRICS‑Plus exercise as maritime security cooperation, a posture facing domestic criticism plus scrutiny from Washington.

A view of the Chinese destroyer CNS Tangshan, front, the Iranian naval ship IRIS Makran 441, center, and the Chinese supply ship CNS Taihu, back, in the Simon's Town harbor near Cape Town in South Africa on January 8, 2026.
China will lead the "Will For Peace 2026" navy exercise involving the 11-nation BRICS alliance
A Russian corvette moors at Simon's Town harbour ahead of Chinese-led naval exercises involving Russia, Iran and South Africa
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Overview

  • The weeklong Will for Peace 2026 exercise runs January 9–16 in South African waters with China as lead nation and South Africa as host.
  • Warships from China, Russia and Iran are in Simon’s Town/False Bay, with named vessels including China’s CNS Tangshan and CNS Taihu, Iran’s IRIS Makran, and Russia’s RFS Stoikiy.
  • South African officials say drills focus on securing shipping lanes through joint maritime safety operations, anti‑piracy work, interoperability training, counter‑terrorism rescues and maritime strike practice.
  • An opening ceremony launched the rebranded, expanded BRICS‑Plus drill, with Indonesia, Ethiopia and Brazil observing and a United Arab Emirates corvette participating.
  • Officials defend the exercises as essential even as the Democratic Alliance warns they undercut South Africa’s non‑aligned stance, a debate sharpened by recent U.S. tanker seizures and the Venezuela operation.