A new report by the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) is causing waves in South Africa and abroad, exposing a deepening contradiction between the country’s constitutional values and its growing alignment with the Islamic Republic of Iran. At the center of the controversy: South African telecoms giant MTN and its entanglement in a U.S. anti-terrorism lawsuit linked to the deaths of American service members.
The 75-page MEARI report, titled Ties to Tehran: South Africa’s Democracy and Its Relationship with Iran, explores how decades of political, commercial and ideological cooperation between South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) and Iran’s repressive regime have reached a boiling point—undermining South Africa’s credibility on the global stage.
The fallout has begun. Mcebisi Jonas, MTN Group chairman and a key figure in South African diplomacy, was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa as special envoy to the United States. But according to multiple sources cited in the report, Jonas has reportedly been denied a U.S. visa—likely due to his link to MTN’s operations in Iran, which have come under federal scrutiny in American courts.
MTN holds a 49% stake in Irancell, Iran’s second-largest mobile provider. The company is facing a landmark U.S. lawsuit under the Anti-Terrorism Act, in which plaintiffs allege that MTN facilitated technology transfers and financial support that enabled Iranian proxies—including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—to carry out attacks that killed or maimed U.S. personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan.
While MTN denies wrongdoing, the U.S. courts have agreed to hear the case, and its implications could be far-reaching—not only for the company but for South Africa’s foreign policy posture.
“You can’t embrace Iran’s ayatollahs at home while expecting red-carpet treatment in the West,” the MEARI report warns.
In addition to the American legal proceedings, MTN is also embroiled in a domestic legal battle with Turkish telecom rival Turkcell, which accuses MTN of bribery and corruption in securing its Iranian license. The case is now pending before South Africa’s Constitutional Court.
The MEARI report also examines South Africa’s controversial case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging genocide in Gaza. While framed by Pretoria as a principled stance grounded in human rights, the report questions whether foreign influence—particularly from Tehran—played a role in the timing and motivations behind the legal action.
Just weeks before the ICJ filing, senior ANC officials visited Tehran. Shortly thereafter, Iran and Hamas publicly praised South Africa for its legal challenge against Israel. Even more curiously, within days of launching the ICJ case, the ANC, then teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, suddenly settled a multi-million-rand debt—raising suspicions of outside financial support, potentially from Iranian sources.
“This report asks South Africa to examine whether its diplomacy reflects its constitutional ideals, or if it’s being shaped behind closed doors by opaque interests and outdated ideologies,” said Benji Shulman, MEARI’s executive director.
SA’s long history with Iran
The report also documents how Iran and apartheid South Africa maintained a covert arms-for-oil relationship during the 1980s, despite Tehran’s public support for the anti-apartheid struggle.
Among the key findings:
- South Africa has repeatedly shielded Iran at the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency, including by voting against sanctions.
- The ANC has maintained close relations with Hamas, a terrorist organization funded and armed by Iran.
- South African officials have welcomed Iranian warships, praised Iranian generals responsible for repression and invited Tehran into BRICS—all while ignoring Iran’s brutal crackdown on women and dissidents at home.
“Iran is no friend to freedom and democracy,” said Shulman. “Yet successive ANC governments have chosen to deepen these ties—turning a blind eye to nuclear weapons pursuits, the sponsorship of terror and systemic human rights abuses.”
The MEARI report concludes with a warning: if South Africa continues to place ideological loyalty over constitutional principle, it risks alienating its democratic allies, facing trade penalties, and losing its moral authority on the world stage.
The full report, Ties to Tehran: South Africa’s Democracy and Its Relationship with Iran, is available at MEARI.org. To download the report, click here.
