Lamola believes US blockade of Iranian ports won’t resolve impasse

Minister of International Relations Ronald Lamola believes the United States (US) blockade of Iranian ports will not help resolve the impasse in the region. 

Speaking in Germany on Monday, Lamola said South Africa maintains its position that the only path to peace in the Middle East is dialogue. 

Lamola said the US and Iran are in violation of the United Nations (UN) charter. 

Calling for the ceasefire to hold in the Middle East, Lamola said South Africa believes in diplomacy and is anti-war. 

He said if negotiations to find an amicable solution to Iran’s nuclear facility had continued, there would not have been a need for the US and Israel to launch an attack on Iran in February. 

“We’ve similarly condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks on the Gulf countries, in particular where there was no evidence that the attacks emanated from those Gulf countries as a violation, too, of international law.”

Lamola said South Africa agrees with Germany that negotiations must continue, and dialogue deepened. 

“It is clear to us that the parties need to build confidence measures that will lead them to a peaceful solution.”

Lamola believes the warring parties need to exercise more patience in negotiations and to allow more leeway in their engagements.