The United States issued a sharp rebuke to South Africa after the inclusion—then partial downgrading—of Iran in Chinese‑led military drills in South African waters, which created a diplomatic headache for Pretoria. China and several other BRICS countries—a group that the East Asian power cofounded and has expanded to 10 members—staged a naval exercise this past week with the stated aim to enhance their ability to safeguard trade routes and economic activities at sea. "Iran is a destabilizing