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A naval vessel anchored in Simon’s Town.
A well-placed government source has confirmed that Iran has been asked to withdraw from the BRICS Navy drills off the South African coast in an effort to prevent a further escalation in diplomatic tensions with the United States.
Iranian vessels that arrived in Simon’s Town in the Western Cape last week, are thus no longer expected to participate in the drills, which are being led by China.
The diplomatic discussions initiated by South Africa seeking Iran’s withdrawal comes in the context of Pretoria seeking not to escalate tensions with the United States given an already precarious diplomatic and trade relationship.
The timing provides some further context – the US House of Representatives is due to take up a three-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunities Act with South Africa fighting to keeps its preferential status within that extension.
The House Ways and Means Committee approved the bill in December with strong bipartisan support with a 37-3 vote in favour of extension – a measure that now goes before the full House before it heads to the Senate and the White House for signature where passage remains unclear.
