South Africa Should Stand with the Iranian People, Not Their Oppressors

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa attends the 20th East Asia Summit (EAS), as part of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Oct. 27, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may be dead, but the warm feelings linger on in South Africa. The Islamic Republic’s brutal repression of its civilians and the US-Israeli operation against Iran, called Epic Fury, have placed an uncomfortable spotlight on the cozy ties Pretoria enjoys with the regime in Tehran.