Iran Defies Pressure to Withdraw from BRICS Military Exercise

Source: The Globe and Mail | Original Published At: 2026-01-14 00:06:23 UTC

Key Points

• BRICS conducts first multilateral naval exercise near South Africa with participation from Iran, Russia, China, UAE, and South Africa
• Iran defies South African government's request to withdraw, sending a warship from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
• South African military deletes social media announcement about the exercise, signaling internal tensions
• U.S. officials condemn the exercise as hostile, threatening trade repercussions against South Africa
• Exercise demonstrates BRICS' expansion beyond economic cooperation into military coordination