South Africa Risks Angering Trump by Hosting Navies of Iran, Russia, China
Strategic competition with Beijing demands clarity on American commitments and economic leverage.
The coverage treats South Africa’s naval exercises as a diplomatic misstep mainly because it might irritate Donald Trump. That framing is too small. The real issue is whether a major regional player is choosing to normalize military cooperation with governments that openly work against U.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
The military exercises come at a time of already strained relations with the U.S.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
The coverage treats South Africa’s naval exercises as a diplomatic misstep mainly because it might irritate Donald Trump. That framing is too small. The real issue is whether a major regional player is choosing to normalize military cooperation with governments that openly work against U.S. interests.
When South Africa hosts Iran, Russia, and China at sea, it is not “nonaligned” in any meaningful sense. It is signaling comfort with regimes that test the limits of international order, threaten national security, and use partnerships to gather intelligence and expand influence.
America has every reason to respond with clear-eyed policy, not wounded feelings. Public trust demands that alliances and trade preferences reflect behavior, not nostalgia. If South Africa wants the benefits of partnership with the United States, rule of law and strategic clarity have to matter more than symbolism.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.