Iran questions Africa's silence as US-Israeli war grinds on

Iran questions Africa's silence as US-Israeli war grinds on Submitted by Azad Essa on Mon, 03/23/2026 - 10:29 Tehran says Israeli influence and US pressure are behind African nations' cautious stance on the war, as analysts cite economic vulnerabilities and diplomatic risk A protester holds a portrait of Iran's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while gathering during a solidarity protest outside the US Consulate in Durban on 3 March 2026 (Rajesh Jantilal/AFP) Off Africa's muted response to the US - Israeli war on its territory has led Iran to accuse Israel of leveraging its expanding diplomatic footprint across the continent to deflect criticism of its actions in the Middle East. Since the war began in late February, most African states - alongside continental bodies such as the African Union - have largely skirted the crisis. Instead, they have issued general calls for de-escalation while condemning Iranian retaliation against US-Israeli targets in the Gulf.