South Africa Rejects US Pressure to Distance Itself From Iran

South Africa says it will not cut ties with Iran despite US pressure. Officials also rejected calls from the administration of Donald Trump to drop the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice or change its Black empowerment laws, saying the country will maintain its independent policies.

South Africa has stated that it sees no reason to cut diplomatic ties with Iran, according to the country’s director-general of international relations and cooperation. The comment came after the newly appointed United States ambassador suggested that South Africa’s association with Iran could stand in the way of improved relations with Washington.
In an interview with Reuters over the weekend, Zane Dangor, director-general of the Department of International Relations, rejected several demands reportedly coming from the administration of US President Donald Trump. These include calls for South Africa to withdraw its genocide case against Israel, scrap its Black empowerment laws, and accept a refugee programme designed for white South Africans.
Dangor made the remarks amid rising global tensions following the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. The war has increased pressure on governments that maintain relations with Tehran, forcing many countries to carefully manage their diplomatic positions. At the same time, relations between Pretoria and Washington have deteriorated during Trump’s second term in office.
In August, Trump imposed a 30 percent tariff on imports from South Africa. The move raised concerns in the country because it could result in tens of thousands of job losses at a time when unemployment is already extremely high, with roughly one-third of South Africans out of work.
Dangor said South Africa has no justification for cutting ties with Iran, although he noted that the country is not blindly supportive of the Iranian government. He explained that the administration of President Cyril Ramaphosa had previously criticized Iran for cracking down on protesters in January and also expressed concern over Iran’s attacks on neighbouring countries during the recent conflict with the United States.
According to Dangor, South Africa does not want to be drawn into geopolitical power struggles between major global powers. He said the country would not allow itself to be pulled into the kind of “sphere of influence” politics that powerful nations sometimes try to impose on others, including the United States.
The comments followed remarks made by the new US ambassador to South Africa, Leo Bozell, who said in his first media interview that South Africa’s association with Iran could make it difficult to maintain good relations with Washington.
Dangor responded by saying that the United States itself has a particular relationship with Iran that many developing countries do not share.
Relations between South Africa and the United States have been strained for some time. Trump has repeatedly accused South Africa’s Black-majority government of discriminating against the country’s white minority and has echoed claims that white-owned land is being seized. The South African government has strongly denied those allegations.
Despite the tensions, Dangor said South Africa remains open to improving its relationship with Washington, but stressed that discussions should focus on areas where both countries share common interests.
On South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over the war in Gaza, Dangor said the matter is not up for negotiation. The case accuses Israel of violating the Genocide Convention during its military operations in Gaza.
“It’s not even on the table,” Dangor said. He explained that during his most recent discussions with officials from the US State Department, South Africa made it clear that if the United States disagrees with the case, the issue should be addressed through the legal process already underway in court.
Dangor also rejected suggestions from the Trump administration that South Africa should change its domestic labour and economic policies aimed at correcting the inequalities created during apartheid. These policies include requirements for a certain level of Black ownership in businesses and measures designed to increase employment opportunities for Black South Africans.
Some US officials have suggested that adjusting these policies could help South Africa avoid the 30 percent tariff imposed by Washington. However, Dangor said Pretoria would not allow internal policies intended to address the legacy of apartheid to become part of trade negotiations.
“We’re not going to let the domestic issues that they’ve put on the table become part of that equation,” he said.
The United States has also announced plans to process up to 4,500 refugee applications every month from white South Africans whom Trump claims are being persecuted in the country.
Dangor criticized the programme, describing it as a form of preferential immigration. He said that if the United States wishes to accept migrants from South Africa, it should do so through normal immigration channels rather than labeling them as refugees.
“It’s a preferential immigration programme,” Dangor said. “But they should do it through the normal channels. They cannot use the moniker of ‘refugee’.”
He added that this issue was the reason a Kenya-based organisation responsible for processing refugee applications was recently denied entry into South Africa.