Iran has stepped back from a major multinational naval exercise set to take place off the coast of Cape Town, despite having already deployed warships to False Bay ahead of the operation.
The Iranian Navy will not take part in the sea-based phase of Exercise Will for Peace 2026, which is scheduled to begin this week and involves South Africa, China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. The South African National Defence Force SANDF has positioned the exercise as a BRICS maritime operation, although only a handful of the ten-member grouping is actively involved, as reported by News24 .
Iranian vessels arrived in False Bay last week alongside ships from China, Russia and the UAE, with participating navies conducting onshore ceremonies and planning sessions. The fleet was expected to sail early in the week to begin live-fire drills and coordinated maritime manoeuvres, but Iran's ships will now remain sidelined.
