🌍 REGIONAL | South Africa Pushes Back Against U.S. Pressure Over Iran Ties
South Africa has rejected growing pressure from the United States to distance itself from Iran, signalling a widening diplomatic rift between Washington and Pretoria as global tensions surrounding the Middle East war continue to spill into international politics.
In an interview with Reuters, South Africa’s Director-General of the Department of International Relations, Zane Dangor, said Pretoria sees no reason to sever its relationship with Tehran despite warnings from the newly appointed U.S. ambassador.
“We have not any reason to cut ties with Iran,” Dangor said, adding that South Africa would not allow itself to be drawn into the geopolitical rivalries of major powers.
The remarks come after U.S. Ambassador Leo Bozell reportedly told South African media that the country’s association with Iran could damage relations with Washington.
“An association with Iran is an impediment to good relations with the United States,” Bozell said.
Pretoria has pushed back strongly against the suggestion, with Dangor arguing that the United States should not expect African countries to automatically align with its foreign policy positions.
“We cannot be pulled into the sort of sphere of influence politics that great powers want to pull us into, and that in this instance includes the US.”
The diplomatic dispute is unfolding against the backdrop of the ongoing U.S.–Israel conflict with Iran, which has increased global political pressure on countries to take sides.
Relations between Washington and Pretoria have already been strained during President Donald Trump’s second term. Last August, the United States imposed 30 percent tariffs on South African imports, a move economists warned could threaten tens of thousands of jobs in a country already struggling with unemployment levels above 30 percent.
The tensions have also spilled into several other policy areas.
The United States has reportedly urged South Africa to withdraw its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, reconsider its Black Economic Empowerment laws, and accept a refugee programme for white South Africans that the Trump administration claims face persecution.
Pretoria has rejected those demands.
Dangor said South Africa’s legal case against Israel is a matter for the international courts and will not be influenced by diplomatic pressure.
“It’s not even on the table. If you disagree with us on this, it’s a court process.”
The refugee proposal has also drawn criticism from the South African government. The United States has suggested it could process around 4,500 refugee applications per month from white South Africans, a claim Pretoria disputes.
“It’s a preferential immigration programme,” Dangor said. “They should do it through the normal channels. They cannot use the moniker of ‘refugee’.”
Despite the tensions, South Africa says it remains open to improving relations with Washington but insists engagement must focus on areas of mutual agreement rather than pressure over domestic or foreign policy choices.
For many observers, the dispute reflects a broader trend in global politics as African governments increasingly resist being drawn into rival blocs between major powers.
As the war involving Iran continues to reshape diplomatic alliances, countries like South Africa are signalling that their foreign policy decisions will not be dictated solely by geopolitical pressure from Washington or any other global power.
© The People’s Brief | Vesla C. Kals