EFF's Malema backs Iran's strikes on Israel, says 'we stand by their right to defend themselves'
Julius Malema said that the EFF stood in full solidarity with Iran, a country he said that was 'under siege from Western imperialism for choosing independence'.
EFF leader Julius Malema at the funeral service of party members who died in a vehicle collision on 16 June. The service was held at the Cecil Emmett Hall in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal on 22 June 2025. Picture: @EFFSouthAfrica/X
JOHANNESBURG - Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema said it was only fair that Israel gets a taste of its own medicine and experience the same devastation as Gaza.
Malema said that Iran, which has come under aerial bombardment by the US and Israel, had the right to defend itself.
Malema made the remarks on Sunday at the mass funeral of seven EFF members who died in a bus accident while returning from a Youth Day rally last week.
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The MK party has also weighed in, condemning the US attacks on Iran as reckless and unlawful.
Malema said that the EFF stood in full solidarity with Iran, a country he said that was "under siege from Western imperialism for choosing independence".
He also said that the EFF stood firmly with the people of Palestine, and would never be neutral in the face of an ongoing genocide.
On Israel's latest attack on Iran, the red berets leader said that the country had every right to retaliate by striking targets in Israel.
"We reject the bullying of this nation by the United States, Israel and its allies, and we stand by their right to defend themselves by any means necessary. Let Israel finally have a taste of the devastation and violence it has perpetrated in Gaza."
The MK Party has also condemned the US attack on Iranian nuclear sites, calling it a war crime "disguised as deterrence".