Iran Eyes Strategic Defense Ties with South Africa

In a meeting on Sunday, chief of Corporate Staff of South Africa and General Mohammad Ahadi, director of the Iranian Defense Ministry’s international affairs department, explored avenues for closer military cooperation between the two nations.

Hailing South Africa for its independent policies in the face of the US bullying behavior, the Iranian general expressed hope that expansion of defense relations between Tehran and Pretoria would contribute to long-term and strategic interaction.

For his part, the South African commander paid tribute to late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini, and called for broader defense cooperation between the two countries.

In October 2018, Iranian and South African military officials held the second meeting of a commission on defense cooperation in Pretoria.

In 2016, Iran’s former defense minister, Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan, visited South Africa where he signed a memorandum of understanding to boost military interaction between the two countries.

The MoU entails programs to ensure regional and international peace, stability and security, as well as efforts for decisive fight against terrorism. The document is also aimed at promoting mutual cooperation on maritime security, training courses, and exchange of experience in the battle against organized crimes.

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