South Africa’s Presidency said Tuesday it had received a report on Iran’s participation in Exercise Will for Peace 2026, leaving President Cyril Ramaphosa to decide whether to release its findings, the Associated Press reported.
The Presidency said the report would remain confidential while Ramaphosa reviews it. In an earlier statement, it said the inquiry would be confidential for national security reasons. Ramaphosa may decide whether to release all or part of the findings after considering the panel’s recommendations with the relevant minister; no date was announced.
South Africa scheduled Exercise Will for Peace 2026 for Jan. 9-16, 2026, in its waters. A government notice described the China-led BRICS Plus naval program as covering maritime safety, interoperability and maritime protection. Iran’s participation in the event was the subject of the inquiry.
In its Feb. 26 statement, the Presidency described the instruction as saying Iran’s navy “must no longer participate.” The panel is to establish how the directive was handled, determine who was responsible and recommend any consequences.
The U.S. Embassy criticized South Africa over Iran’s participation, AP reported in January, amid protests and a government crackdown in Iran. AP also reported that South Africa’s hosting of Chinese and Russian naval drills in 2023 had drawn U.S. concern.
DefenceWeb reported Oct. 21, citing a parliamentary reply, that Ramaphosa set Oct. 31 as the panel’s report deadline. The Oct. 27 delivery came before that date. His review is the next step, but the Presidency has not announced when he will decide whether to release findings.
