The government of South Africa says it has no reason to end its relationship with Iran, despite pressure from the United States.
In an interview with Reuters, Zane Dangor said Pretoria will continue its diplomatic ties with Iran, even though the new U.S. ambassador warned that the relationship could harm cooperation with Washington.
Dangor explained that South Africa wants to maintain independent foreign relations and does not want to be forced into choosing sides in global power struggles. He added that the government is not blindly supportive of Iran and has criticized the country in the past for its actions against protesters and its regional conflicts.
Tensions between South Africa and the United States have increased during the presidency of Donald Trump. In August, Trump imposed a 30% tariff on South African imports, a decision that could threaten thousands of jobs in South Africa, where unemployment already affects about a third of the population.
South African officials also rejected several U.S. demands. These include calls to drop the country’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, changes to laws that support Black economic empowerment, and accepting a U.S. refugee program for white South Africans.
The government of Cyril Ramaphosa insists that these domestic policies are meant to address the long-term economic inequalities left by apartheid and should not be linked to trade negotiations.
Despite the disagreements, Dangor said South Africa still hopes to improve relations with the United States, suggesting that both countries should focus on areas where they can cooperate rather than on issues where they strongly disagree.
Source: TRT Africa
