South Africa’s claims of “non-alignment” in global affairs have been rubbished by the United States (US) embassy in Pretoria.

This follows the participation of Iranian naval vessels in a maritime exercise off the coast of Simonstown.

South Africa hosted the Will For Peace 2026 naval exercises at Simonstown with vessels from Russia, China, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates between 9 and 16 January.

On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the US Embassy in South Africa criticised Iran’s participation in these naval exercises and rejected Pretoria’s claim of non-alignment.

In its post, the embassy said, “The United States notes with concern and alarm reports that the Minister of Defence and SANDF defied a government order regarding Iran’s participation in the ongoing naval exercises.” It added, “Iran is a destabilising actor and state sponsor of terror, and its inclusion in joint exercises, in any capacity, undermines maritime security and regional stability.”

The embassy then said it was “particularly unconscionable” that South Africa welcomed Iranian security forces “as they were shooting, jailing, and torturing Iranian citizens engaging in peaceful political activity South Africans fought so hard to gain for themselves”. It concluded, “South Africa can’t lecture the world on ‘justice’ while cozying up to Iran.”

The statement lands shortly before Leo Brent Bozell III arrives as Washington’s new ambassador to Pretoria. Bozell is not a career diplomat. He is closely aligned with President Donald Trump and has been explicit about how he views South Africa’s direction. During his confirmation process he said, “I will communicate our objections to South Africa’s geostrategic drift from non-alignment toward our competitors, including Russia, China, and Iran.”

On Pretoria’s role with regards to taking Israel to the International Court of Justice on genocide charges, he added, “It’s going to be a top priority because the president has made it a top priority, and the president has told me it’s a top priority.”

In a second post, the embassy stripped away Pretoria’s preferred language entirely. “Permitting Iranian military forces to operate in South African waters, or going to Tehran and expressing solidarity, isn’t ‘non-alignment’, it’s choosing to stand with a regime that brutally represses its people and engages in terrorism,” it said.

That assessment aligns with a view now hardening on Capitol Hill. Senior Republican senator Jim Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has described the African National Congress (ANC)-led government’s posture as openly deceptive. He said South Africa’s foreign policy “hides behind a claim of non-alignment, yet its military hosts drills with America’s chief adversaries”, adding that “any promise or deal this government offers Washington is meaningless when its actions signal open hostility toward the United States”. Risch went further, arguing that Trump is right to treat Pretoria “for what it is: an adversary of America”, and that the time for envoys, reviews, or bridge-building deals “has passed.”

The embassy’s mention of Tehran refers to General Rudzani Maphwanya’s visit to Iran in August 2025. During that visit, the head of the SANDF said, “The Republic of South Africa and the Islamic Republic of Iran have common goals. We always stand alongside the oppressed and defenceless people of the world.”

Washington’s position is clear. These incidents are being read as connected, not accidental. Claims of deniability no longer carry weight.

The notion that Iran’s presence is the result of rogue officials defying Pretoria is preposterous. If it were true, it would mean a handful of generals can run South African foreign policy and hijack a strategic naval base without consequence.

The more plausible explanation is the simpler one, the South African government is trying to obfuscate, and friendly media are helping by treating obvious alignment as a definitional debate about non-alignment.