Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa mark notable Brics shift?

Last week’s naval drills involving China, Russia, Iran and host country South Africa signalled a notable shift for Brics beyond its traditional focus on economic cooperation, analysts said, as the US noted it had closely monitored the exercise.

However, observers also described the high-profile exercise as largely symbolic, calling it a diplomatic statement of intent rather than a step towards a formal military alliance.

The Will for Peace 2026 drills were launched at a port in Cape Town on January 9 and ran until Friday, according to the South African National Defence Force.

Pretoria has described the manoeuvres as a maritime exercise for Brics Plus countries and aimed at improving coordination and operational familiarity among the navies taking part.

At the opening ceremony, South Africa’s joint task force commander, Captain Nndwakhulu Thomas Thamaha, said the drills were “more than a military exercise” and represented a statement of intent by Brics countries.

The event caught the attention of the US. According to a Wall Street Journal report on January 11, US Africa Command said Washington was keeping a close watch on the drills to safeguard its interests.