SA warns citizens in Iran: We may not be able to help you!

Lamola

Pretoria – The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has issued an urgent call for all South African citizens currently in the Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately contact the South African Embassy in Tehran and ensure that they are registered and that their whereabouts are known.

The Ministry cautioned that South Africa’s consular support in Iran is significantly constrained, and citizens may not be able to access face-to-face assistance in the event of an emergency.

“It is important to note that South Africa’s support in the country is limited and that it could be assumed that no face-to-face consular assistance will be possible in an emergency,” DIRCO said in a statement on Monday.

“The South African Government may not be able to help you if you get into difficulty, depending on your location.”

In light of these constraints, South Africans in Iran are being strongly advised to assess their personal safety and security and make decisions accordingly.

For assistance, citizens can contact the South African Embassy in Tehran at:

  • +98-912-230-8968

  • +98-930-495-8965

Alternatively, the DIRCO helpline in Pretoria can be reached at:

  • +27 12 351 1000

Further information and contact details are available on DIRCO’s official website: www.dirco.gov.za.

This advisory comes amid rising geopolitical tensions in the region, although DIRCO has not explicitly linked the statement to any specific incident.

On Saturday, South Africa voiced deep concern over Israeli attacks inside Iran, which targeted military sites, nuclear facilities, and civilian infrastructure, causing casualties among both civilians and military personnel.

“These actions raise serious concerns under international law, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the protection of civilians enshrined in the UN Charter and international humanitarian law,” said Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola.

Israel carried out the strikes on Friday.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel it faced a “bitter and painful” fate over the attack, which also killed a senior Guards commander according to Iranian media.

The United States underlined that it was not involved in the Israeli action, and warned Tehran not to attack its personnel or interests.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Friday, a White House official told AFP. He said earlier that Israel had let him know in advance about its strikes on Iran’s military top brass and nuclear facilities.

After Iran launched barrages of ballistic missiles on Friday, the United States was “assisting in shooting down missiles targeting Israel,” two US officials told AFP, without giving detail on the extent of Washington’s role.

The South African government questioned the safety of striking nuclear sites and challenged Israel’s claim of pre-emptive self-defense, stating there’s no clear evidence of an imminent attack as required by the UN Charter.

South Africa called for all parties to exercise maximum restraint and urged increased diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and promote stability in the Middle East.

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