Chinese, Russian and Iranian warships arrive for drills in South Africa

Naval exercises come as tensions run high after US military intervention in Venezuela, seizures of several oil tankers.Published On 9 Jan 2026Chinese, Russian and Iranian warships have arrived in South African waters for a week of naval drills as geopolitical tensions run high over the United States’s military intervention in Venezuela and its seizures of several oil tankers.China’s defence ministry said in a statement on Friday that the exercises, set to kick off with an opening ceremony on Saturday, are “joint operations to safeguard vital shipping lanes and economic activities”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3How many countries has Trump bombed in 2025?list 2 of 3‘I don’t need international law,’ Trump says after abduction of Madurolist 3 of 3China launches drills around Taiwan in ‘stern warning’ to external forcesend of listStrikes on maritime targets and “counter-terrorism” rescues will be part of the drills, it said.Chinese, Russian and Iranian ships were seen moving into and out of the harbour that serves South Africa’s top naval base in Simon’s Town, south of Cape Town, where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean.It was not immediately clear if other countries from the BRICS group – which also includes Brazil, India and the United Arab Emirates, among others – would take part in the drills.A spokesperson for the South African armed forces said he wasn’t yet able to confirm all the countries participating in the drills, which are due to run until next Friday.South Africa’s defence force said the event will allow the navies “to exchange best practices and improve joint operational capabilities, which contributes to the safety of shipping routes and overall regional maritime stability”.A Russian vessel arrives at the Simon’s Town naval base ahead of the drills, in Cape Town, South Africa, on January 9, 2026 [Esa Alexander/Reuters]The exercises come amid heightened tensions after the US military attacked the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, on Saturday and abducted the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro.