JOHANNESBURG – Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) President Julius Malema has called on South Africa to boycott the FIFA World Cup scheduled to take place in the United States, escalating political tensions as diplomatic fallout grows over South Africa’s military engagement with Iran.
“South Africa, Bafana Bafana must officially withdraw. SAFA must take a decision to withdraw from having anything to do with the World Cup that is taking place in America,” Malema said this week. “We must boycott the World Cup in America and boycott anything that has got to do with America because we cannot sit back and allow a person to destabilise the world and then carry on as if it is business as usual.”
Malema’s remarks come amid mounting international controversy over Exercise Will for Peace 2026, a multinational naval drill currently underway off the coast of Simon’s Town, in which Iran is participating alongside South Africa, Russia, China and the United Arab Emirates.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) confirmed this week that Iran’s corvette IRIS Naghdi is actively involved in the sea phase of the exercise, which began on 13 January 2026. Other participating vessels include the UAE’s Bani Yas, Russia’s Stoikiy, China’s destroyer Tangshan, and the South African Navy’s frigate SAS Amatola. The Ethiopian, Egyptian and Indonesian navies are taking part as observers.
According to the SANDF, the exercise is aimed at enhancing maritime safety, joint operational readiness, humanitarian cooperation and the security of international shipping routes.
However, the exercise has been overshadowed by confusion and contradiction over Iran’s role. Initial reports, including those aired by the SABC, suggested that Tehran had either downgraded its participation or withdrawn from active sea drills following political pressure. This pressure reportedly stemmed from concerns within the South African government about complicating sensitive diplomatic engagements, including talks around the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) with the United States.
Adding to the uncertainty, the SANDF deleted a social media post that appeared to confirm IRIS Naghdi’s active participation in the exercise. Prominent defence analyst Darren Olivier, director of African Defence Review, pointed to the inconsistency, noting that one of the Iranian vessels was observed “heading out to sea alongside other warships”, despite official assurances that Iran had been asked to step back.
The issue has drawn a sharp rebuke from Washington. On Thursday, 15 January 2026, the United States Embassy in South Africa issued a strongly worded statement expressing “concern and alarm” over reports that Iranian warships were still involved.
“The United States notes with concern and alarm reports that the Minister of Defence and the SANDF defied a government order regarding Iran’s participation in the ongoing naval exercises,” the statement said.
Describing Iran as “a destabilising actor and state sponsor of terror”, the embassy warned that its inclusion in joint military exercises “in any capacity” undermines maritime security and regional stability. The statement went further, criticising South Africa for hosting Iranian forces at a time when Tehran is accused of violently suppressing domestic protests.
“It is particularly unconscionable that South Africa welcomed Iranian security forces as they were shooting, jailing and torturing Iranian citizens engaging in peaceful political activity South Africans fought so hard to gain for themselves,” the embassy said. “South Africa can’t lecture the world on ‘justice’ while cosying up to Iran.”
The embassy added that allowing Iranian military forces to operate in South African waters — or senior officials expressing solidarity with Tehran — could not be framed as non-alignment. “It is choosing to stand with a regime that brutally represses its people and engages in terrorism,” the statement said.
In response to the growing scrutiny, the South African Presidency issued a brief statement on 15 January acknowledging concerns over developments in Iran.
“The reports of unrest and the subsequent loss of life are concerning, and South Africa urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint,” the Presidency said. It reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to universal human rights, including the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression and freedom of association.
“We therefore call on the Iranian authorities to ensure that citizens exercise their right to protest in peace,” the statement added, concluding that lasting peace and stability can only be achieved through solutions centred on the will and agency of the Iranian people.
As geopolitical tensions intensify, Malema’s call for a World Cup boycott signals a widening domestic political response to South Africa’s increasingly contested foreign policy posture — one that places sport, diplomacy and military cooperation squarely at the centre of a growing global standoff.
