ANC slams US-Israeli military strike that killed Iran’s Ayatollah

Ayatollah Khamenei says that U.S. sanctions imposed in a row over its nuclear programme would not make Iran yield.

The African National Congress (ANC) has condemned the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday in a joint US-Israeli military strike. The joint attack on Iran has escalated tensions in the Middle East, with hundreds of civilians reported to have been killed or wounded. The conflict has left many travellers, including South Africans, stranded as flights to and from that part of the world have since been cancelled.

WATCH | Flights disrupted as Middle East tensions escalate. SABC News Reporter Mbalenhle Mthethwa joins us live from OR Tambo International Airport, Kempton Park. pic.twitter.com/zHeOo4zLRG

— SABC News (@SABCNews) March 1, 2026

Addressing the media in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, during the party’s engagement with PEC ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri emphasises the party’s condemnation of the role of the US in policing the world.

“We continue to condemn those who believe the challenges we are facing in the world among the community of nations can be resolved through wars and through arms. We believe that the only way to lasting peace is through negotiations and it’s through resolutions. We believe that relevant UN chapters must come to the table and that all of us must sit around the table and address matters that need to be addressed. We are not in support of those strikes.”

Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) has accused Israel and the United States (US) of committing crimes against humanity. pic.twitter.com/R5JGWMWHwl

— SABC News (@SABCNews) March 1, 2026