Naval Drills Near South Africa: What's Happening and Why India Stayed Out

Naval exercises are happening near South Africa, involving China, Russia, Iran, and other countries. These drills, called Will for Peace 2026, started on a Saturday and will last for a week. They include rescue operations, maritime strikes, and technical exchanges. China is leading these exercises, which are taking place where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. South Africa invited all BRICS members to join, but India and Brazil chose not to participate fully. Brazil is just observing, while India stayed away completely. The drills are happening at a time when tensions are high between South Africa and the United States. The U. S. sees the BRICS group as a threat to its economic power. South Africa says these drills are important for global maritime safety. They want to protect shipping routes and work together to keep the seas safe. But not everyone agrees. Some people think these exercises are more about politics than safety. The U. S. has accused some BRICS members of being anti-American and has threatened them with tariffs.India stayed out of the drills because it wants to keep good relations with the U. S. Buying Russian oil has made things tense between India and the U. S. Some experts say India doesn't want to be part of these military exercises because BRICS is not a military alliance. It's more about economic cooperation. South Africa has hosted similar drills before, like Exercise Mosi, with Russia and China. The last one was in 2023, around the time Russia invaded Ukraine. The U. S. was not happy about these drills and didn't send anyone to a Group of 20 summit in South Africa later that year. Now, with the Will for Peace 2026 drills, tensions might rise even more. South Africa is already in a tough spot with the U. S. because of its stance on Israel and Palestine. The U. S. has put high tariffs on South African goods, making things worse. Some people in South Africa think these drills are making their country a pawn in a bigger game.