SANDF chief General Rudzani Maphwanya was in Iran this week touring military training facilities and engaging with officials.
Senior South African and Iranian military officials have expressed the desire for a mutually cooperative future as delegations met in Tehran on Tuesday.
South African National Defence Force (SANDF) chief General Rudzani Maphwanya met with a host of Iranian military leaders and toured facilities, expressing his “enthusiastic” support for his hosts.
In the same week that South Africa was attempting to smooth over relations with the United States, Maphwanya pledged military and political alignment with the Iranians.
SANDF in Iran
The SANDF general met with Iranian Armed Forces (IAF) staff as he visited the Army Command and Staff University of Iran (Dafoos) in Tehran.
Maphwanya held open discussions with at least three high-ranking officials, as the top brass discussed areas of collaboration.
“This trip is not only a military one, but has a political message and was carried out at the best possible time to express our heartfelt feelings to the peace-loving nation of Iran,” stated the media arm Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), quoting Maphwanya.
IAF Chief of Staff Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi stated his nation was ready for greater collaboration with South Africa, despite suffering heavy losses during a recent conflict between Iran and Israel.
“The Armed Forces of Iran, including the Islamic Republic of Iran Army and the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics, possess significant capabilities in various military, technical, and industrial fields.
“These capabilities can be utilised in cooperation with the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence of South Africa to serve their mutual national interests and enhance regional and international security,” Mousavi stated.
Invitation to study
Dafoos is the central military training facility that houses the research and development arm of Iran’s armed forces.
Commander of the facility, Second Brigadier General Hossein Valivand-Zamani, extended a future invitation to South Africans.
“This university admits students from various countries, and we hope to have student and faculty exchanges with South Africa. We look forward to welcoming students from South Africa in the new term starting in September,” stated Valivand-Zamani.
Maphwanya praised the facility, expressing his desire to see the exchanged ideas materialise between the military bodies.
“Dafoos possesses highly advanced academic capabilities, and we are truly enthusiastic about fostering military cooperation with this university,” said the SANDF chief.
Praise for anti-US stance
Major General Amir Hatami condemned his Western adversaries, praising South Africa’s stance on the conflict in Israel.
“In the 12-day imposed war, South Africa’s resolute stance in condemning the Zionist regime and the United States was courageous and commendable,” said Hantani.
The US has imposed a 30% unilateral tariff on South Africa, and Trade Minister Parks Tau said on Tuesday that South Africa was attempting to renegotiate with the US.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation acknowledged attempts for comment, but advised The Citizen to contact the SANDF directly.
The SANDF was contacted for comment on the visit and feedback will be added once received.
Spanner in trade works
Executive Director at the Centre for Risk Analysis Chris Hattingh said this could provide a “point of frustration” in Tau’s attempts to smoothen trade relations with the US.
“South African engagement with Iran is not in and of itself an issue; what matters is the kind of engagement,” Hattingh told The Citizen.
“The US and Israel have worked to isolate Iran [and] South Africa’s engagements with the latter could be viewed as an attempt to circumvent or undermine that work being undertaken by the former,” he explained.
Hattingh, who was in Washington D.C. last week where he spoke with US lawmakers, warned that the Trump administration see little separation between trade and politics.
“Non-trade, political issues are forming part of tariff and other trade negotiations.
“Even if SA submitted the strongest kind of trade-focused deal to the US, engagements such as this latest with Iran will make any possible deal around lower US tariffs and other investments all the more difficult,” Hattingh concluded.
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