Thembisa Fakude, director at Africa Asia Dialogue (AFRASID), a think tank based in Johannesburg, said it was unlikely that South Africa would, as part of the BRICS+ group, step up to defend Iran against ongoing attacks from the United States and Israel.
“I don’t see them unifying in terms of helping Iran. Iran will have to help itself,” he told Salaamedia.
The United States and Israel went to war against Iran on Saturday. Since then, more than 1,097 civilians have been killed. Even Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader since 1989, was not spared.
South Africa’s charm offensive
For now, the South African government’s reaction has consisted of no more than a statement urging dialogue. As bombs rained on the capital city of its BRICS+ partner, the Presidency called for “inclusive dialogue and a genuine commitment to justice and coexistence”.
The African National Congress (ANC), the largest party in the governing coalition, for its part sent out “sincere condolences to the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran” the next day, also calling for dialogue.
Fakude explained that although South Africa continued to maintain economic ties with Iran, it was wary of further aggravating the United States, a country with whom its relationship has broken down.
“South Africa has interests in Iran and it’s continuing to work with the Iranians economically, but I don’t see them in any way or form overtly supporting Iran this time around because they’ve got their own charm offensive in terms of restarting our relationship with the United States,” he stated.
Image: A plume of smoke rises after a strike on the Iranian capital of Tehran on March 3, 2026. (Getty/AFP/Atta Kenare)
