The US government has accused South Africa's military of "cosying up" to Iran by refusing to expel Iranian warships from its waters during a recent joint naval exercise.
Washington claims that the South African Defence Ministry ignored orders from President Cyril Ramaphosa to ask Iran to leave, and instead chose to stand with Tehran. The US embassy in Johannesburg described the move as "unconscionable" given that Iran has been brutally suppressing protests in its own country.
This criticism comes at a time when tensions are running high between South Africa and the United States over human rights issues in Iran.
South African Defence Minister Angie Motshekga has denied any wrongdoing, stating that President Ramaphosa's instructions had been clearly communicated to all parties concerned, agreed upon and to be implemented and adhered to as such.
The row highlights strained relations between South Africa and the US, which have been simmering over issues like human rights in Iran and other regional concerns.
Washington claims that the South African Defence Ministry ignored orders from President Cyril Ramaphosa to ask Iran to leave, and instead chose to stand with Tehran. The US embassy in Johannesburg described the move as "unconscionable" given that Iran has been brutally suppressing protests in its own country.
This criticism comes at a time when tensions are running high between South Africa and the United States over human rights issues in Iran.
South African Defence Minister Angie Motshekga has denied any wrongdoing, stating that President Ramaphosa's instructions had been clearly communicated to all parties concerned, agreed upon and to be implemented and adhered to as such.
The row highlights strained relations between South Africa and the US, which have been simmering over issues like human rights in Iran and other regional concerns.
?! I mean, I get why the US is mad but come on, South Africa needs to stand up for itself ya know? We can't just let the world dictate how we interact with others, that's not how it works 
. And yeah, Iran's human rights situation is super concerning, but so are ours in other parts of the world 
. Can't we all just try to get along and resolve our differences peacefully? 
. And what's with the US being all judgy about Iran suppressing protests in its own country? That's a super sensitive topic 
.
. The fact that Angie Motshekga is sticking by her story makes me trust her more 
. We need to be careful not to get caught up in US politics and start judging our own leaders based on what they're saying 
.
. One minute they're partners in naval exercises, next minute they're at odds... it just doesn't add up 
. I mean, South Africa's got its own issues to deal with, but I get why the US is upset about Iran - we all know how bad things are going on over there 
.
.
. One thing for sure is that South Africa's got some explaining to do 
.
The fact that SA's military is standing up for Iran during a naval exercise might just be seen as a bold move to assert their own independence on the world stage 
? I know, it sounds counterintuitive, but hear me out! 
If they're not expelling Iranian warships, maybe they're actually trying to create space for other nations to engage with Iran in a more constructive way? 
Maybe this whole thing will lead to some unexpected diplomatic breakthroughs? 
Wouldn't it be awesome if the US and SA could find common ground on human rights issues in Iran? 
. Either way, I'm rooting for SA's sovereignty and self-determination 
! #TeamSA #IndependentThoughts #DiplomacyMatters
. minister motshekga sounds sooo reasonable btw 
. lets just say im keepin a close eye on dis whole thing and cant wait 2 see how it unfolds 
. Maybe South Africa and Iran are just trying to strengthen their economic ties in the region? I guess only time will tell 
. The row over human rights in Iran is valid, don't get me wrong 
. I'm all for maintaining good relations with countries around the world, as long as it doesn't come at the expense of our own sovereignty 
.
I guess it's hard to say for sure without more info, but this whole thing just seems super shady to me 
It's not like we're signing off on everything Iran does... and what if South Africa was actually trying to help the US out by showing solidarity during a joint naval exercise? 
, but maybe there's more to this story than meets the eye? It's not all black & white 
. The US gov is probably worried about the bigger picture & what this means for global stability 
, but SA's got its own interests to consider too 
.
- people in Iran deserve better 
, and the world needs more unity not division 
.
all this drama over navies & politics... what's the real game here? 
.
. It's like, if you're gonna be friends with someone, you gotta at least try to keep their buddies out of your spot 
.
?
. But one thing's for sure: if you're gonna be friends with Iran, you gotta be prepared for some major pushback from the US 
! The whole thing about Iranian warships being allowed to stay during that naval exercise just shows how much the US is sticking its nose into SA's business. I mean, what's next? Are they gonna tell us who we can and can't be friends with?
.