BRICS SPAN SAAM

SA defends navy drill with partners

- VOICE REPORTER

SOUTH Africa on Saturday began their naval drills with Russia, Iran and China, describing the manoeuvres off the False Bay coast as not merely a show of force, but a vital response to rising maritime tensions.

The week-long “Will for Peace 2026” military exercises come just days after the United States seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic.

The US claimed it carried crude bound for Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of Western sanctions.

The seizure followed an American raid that toppled Moscow's ally, Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas.