China, Russia, Iran start ‘BRICS Plus’ naval exercises in South African waters

Source: MarketScreener | Original Published At: 2026-01-10 08:32:14 UTC

Key Points

• China, Russia, and Iran began week-long naval exercises in South African waters as part of BRICS Plus cooperation
• BRICS Plus includes six additional countries (Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Ethiopia) with Brazil, Egypt, and Ethiopia participating as observers
• Exercises focus on maritime safety operations and interoperability drills under the 'WILL FOR PEACE 2026' initiative
• South Africa emphasizes non-political nature of exercises despite criticism from pro-Western Democratic Alliance party
• U.S. tensions with BRICS Plus members mentioned as geopolitical context for the drills