The move came after Pretoria's Foreign Ministry said it had held substantive discussions with its Iranian counterpart over the instability in the Middle East

Iran has confirmed that South African vessels will be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, as Pretoria scrambles to shield its energy security from the fallout of escalating tensions in the Gulf.

That was the message from the Iranian Embassy in South Africa as tensions in the Middle East continue to grip one of the world's most critical oil chokepoints. The narrow waterway, where a significant share of global oil supply passes, has become a major point in the escalating standoff involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said it is closely monitoring the situation, with Minister Ronald Lamola emphasising the country's diplomatic efforts.

"Following extensive consultations with several of my counterparts in Gulf nations currently impacted by the prevailing instability in the Middle East, I held a substantive discussion with the Iranian Foreign Minister, His Excellency Abbas Araghchi," Lamola said.

He added: "I expressed our profound concern regarding the escalating loss of civilian life and the worsening humanitarian situation in the region."

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Lamola also reaffirmed South Africa's stance on peaceful resolution. "We reaffirmed our call for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities.

"South Africa remains steadfast in its position that the only viable path forward is through diplomatic engagement and a commitment to a peaceful, just, and lasting resolution to the conflict, in accordance with international law."

On the opening of the waterway for the country, political analyst Siya Ntombela said he does not anticipate backlash. He told IOL that South Africa's ties with Iran have strategic benefits.

"We took Israel to the International Court of Justice alleging it is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. This claim resonates with Iran thus we are given a free pass," he said.

He added that South Africa cannot afford not to have access to oil given its poor economy and high unemployment rate. "What we need to do is to exploit the opportunity and top up our oil reserves because the global dynamics may change drastically."

However, another political analyst, Andre Duvenhage said that he does not believe that South Africa has a lot of big ships or tankers.

"This is an indication of the very strong alignment between South African and Iran and a point of conflict with both the United States of America and Israel.

"This is making South Africa an economic and political target. The reality is that we don't get the majority of our oil from the Middle East but from places like Angola and Nigeria."

First published by IOL