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Trump says he believes Iran wants to make deal as he extols size of US ‘armada’

Donald Trump has said he believes Tehran wants to make a deal to head off a regional conflict, as he claimed the US “armada” near Iran was bigger than the task force deployed to topple Venezuela’s leader. “We have a large armada, flotilla, call it whatever you want, heading toward Iran right now, even larger than what we had in Venezuela,” the US president told reporters on Friday. “Hopefully we’ll make a deal. If we do make a deal, that’s good. If we don’t make a deal, we’ll see what happens.” He declined to say whether he planned a repeat of the military operation in Venezuela in which US forces captured and renditioned the president, Nicolás Maduro. “I don’t want to talk about anything having to do with what I’m doing militarily,” he said. His comments came after Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was ready to negotiate with the US, but only if talks were not under duress and did not extend to Iran’s missile programme. After meetings with Turkish diplomats, Araghchi said Iran was “ready to begin negotiations if they take place on an equal footing, based on mutual interests and mutual respect”. He said there were no immediate plans to meet US officials, adding: “I want to state firmly that Iran’s defensive and missile capabilities will never be subject to negotiation.” Araghchi said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran, just as it is ready for negotiations, is also ready for war.” Trump said on Thursday he hoped to avoid military action, even as the US deployed another warship to the Middle East, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers. But his precise objectives remain unclear. Speaking at the premiere of the documentary Melania, the US president told reporters Iran had to do “two things” to avoid military action. “Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters,” saying that “they are killing them by the thousands”. He added: “We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them.” Iran has blamed the US and Israel for the protests that erupted in late December over economic grievances, and were brutally suppressed. Activist groups estimate as many as 30,000 people were killed in the ensuing crackdown. The Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said the resumption of talks between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s nuclear programme was “vital for reducing regional tensions”. Speaking alongside Araghchi, he claimed Israel was pushing for the US to attack Iran, and urged Washington to “act with common sense and not allow this to happen”. In a call with Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said he was willing to act as a mediator between Iran and the US. From Iran’s perspective, the US is piling ever more demands on Tehran that if all were implemented would spell the end of its sovereignty. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has called for an end to Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme, the transfer of its existing stock of highly enriched uranium out of the country, limits on Iran’s missile programme and an end to support for proxy groups in countries such as Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. Araghchi held separate phone calls with his counterparts from Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Turkey. All the Arab states have insisted their air ground facilities cannot be used by the US to attack Iran. In Turkey, Araghchi criticised Thursday’s decision by the EU, likely to be followed by the UK, to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation. He said: “The truth is that Europe is a declining continent and has lost its role on the international level and is losing it more and more every day, and it is surprising that they themselves are fuelling this process. This shows that Europe has neither a correct understanding of the international situation, nor a correct understanding of the conditions in our region, nor a correct understanding of its own interests. The decision they made was a major strategic mistake.” Araghchi did not spell out what reprisals were being considered, but the UK Foreign Office has always worried such a move would lead Iran to break off diplomatic relations. But Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s national security council, said in future Tehran would treat the armies of Europe as terrorists. The Iranian supreme leader’s representative in the IRGC said the European action would have serious consequences for the EU. On Friday, the US followed the EU in imposing sanctions against Iran’s interior minister, accusing Eskandar Momeni of repressing the nationwide protests. The sanctions come as anger grows inside Iran that the supposedly reformist government allowed such large-scale killings. In a statement, the Reform Front, a reformist umbrella body, called for “an independent fact-finding committee to investigate this unprecedented disaster and present a transparent and candid report to the Iranian nation”. It also called on the judiciary to refrain from “hasty rulings” against detainees, and said bereaved families must be allowed to freely mourn protesters who were killed in the crackdown.

Mexico president says Trump tariffs on Cuba’s oil suppliers could trigger humanitarian crisis

Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has warned that Donald Trump’s move to slap new tariffs on countries sending oil to Cuba could trigger a humanitarian crisis on the island, which is already suffering from chronic fuel shortages and regular blackouts. The US president signed an executive order on Thursday declaring a national emergency and laying the groundwork for such tariffs, ratcheting up the pressure to topple the communist government in Havana. A White House statement cited the Cuban government’s alleged ties to Russia, Hamas and Hezbollah to explain the new tariffs. While the statement did not name Mexico, Sheinbaum’s government has been the top supplier of oil to the island since 2025, surpassing Russia and Venezuela. Sheinbaum said on Friday that her government would seek more information about the tariffs from the US state department, while looking for alternative ways to provide humanitarian aid to the Cuban people. “We will seek a way, without putting Mexico at risk, of course, but always seeking solidarity with the Cuban people,” she told reporters. The new tariff policy comes as Cuba struggles with increasingly severe blackouts. Sheinbaum said the tariffs could “directly affect hospitals, food supplies and other basic services for the Cuban people”. Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, said in a post on X that Trump sought to “suffocate” the island’s economy and that the tariffs revealed the “fascist, criminal, and genocidal nature of a clique that has hijacked the interests of the American people for purely personal gain”. Cuba’s situation has become even more precarious since the US captured and transported Nicolás Maduro, a key ally of the government in Havana, from Venezuela at the start of the year. A week later, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post: “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” On Thursday, the Financial Times reported an estimate that Cuba only has enough oil to last 15 to 20 days at current levels of demand and domestic production, and could soon face sharp rationing. Sheinbaum’s comments came after a week of increasing threats from Washington. US officials briefed that gunboats could be deployed off Cuba, and said efforts were under way to find Cuban ministers prepared to collaborate with the US. Speaking on Wednesday, Mike Hammer, the US chargé d’affaires in Havana, said: “The Cubans have complained for years about a ‘blockade’, but now there is going to be a real blockade.” The issue of oil shipments to Cuba is a fraught one for Sheinbaum, who is striving to show the Trump administration that Mexico is a partner on trade and security without alienating the left wing of her party, Morena. The Trump administration has recently repeated its threats of unilateral military strikes on drug-trafficking cartels in Mexico, just as the two countries begin to renegotiate the trillion-dollar USMCA North American free trade agreement. In Havana, 12-hour daily blackouts have become commonplace. Many Cuban families are struggling to cook food, finding it hard to get hold of gas canisters, and are resorting to cooking over charcoal. But Jorge Piñon, an expert on Cuba’s energy at the University of Texas, said the situation has the potential to grow even more severe. “If we do not see any crude oil or fuel deliveries within the next six to eight weeks, then the government will have a major crisis on their hands,” he said.

Israel accepts health authorities’ Gaza death toll is broadly accurate, saying 70,000 have died

Israel’s military has accepted the death toll compiled by health authorities in Gaza is broadly accurate, marking a U-turn after years of official attacks on the data. A senior security official briefed Israeli journalists, saying about 70,000 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli attacks on the territory since October 2023, excluding those missing. It is the first time Israel has publicly estimated the toll from the war in Gaza. Previously the government and military had only provided figures for militants Israel claimed to have killed. Gaza health authorities said the direct toll from Israeli attacks had exceeded 71,660 people, with at least 10,000 presumed buried in the rubble of bombed buildings. For more than two years, Israeli officials and media had attacked the Palestinian figures as “Hamas propaganda” and dismissed them as “not accurate”. The abrupt shift in stance raises broader questions about Israel’s defence of its campaign in Gaza. A UN commission, rights groups and scholars have accused Israel of committing genocide in the territory. “What other accusations could turn out to be true?” the Israeli newspaper Haaretz said after the briefing. “The Israeli public must ask itself what this belated recognition indicates about the army and the government’s credibility regarding Israel’s conduct in Gaza.” It is also likely to intensify scrutiny of civilian casualties in Gaza. The Israeli military previously claimed to have killed 22,000 militants in Gaza, suggesting that, by its own count, more than two-thirds of the 70,000 dead were non-combatants. That figure is significantly below the 83% civilian toll indicated by a classified Israeli military database, but well above the 50% casualty rate previously claimed by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel was still reviewing how many of the dead were civilians, the Times of Israel said, but believed the overall toll compiled by Gaza health authorities was “largely accurate”. A military spokesperson declined to confirm or deny the figure given at the briefing, saying only that “the details published do not reflect official IDF data”. The Palestinian database does not provide a breakdown of fighters and non-combatants. It does identify most of the dead by name, date of birth and Israeli-issued identity numbers. Israeli attacks on Gaza health authorities ignored a long track record of reliable record-keeping. During past wars in Gaza the final toll recognised by Israel and observers including the UN was broadly in line with Palestinian data. There was little coverage or discussion of the death toll in Israeli media. Most major outlets attended the briefing, but with the exception of Haaretz, initially ignored the new figure. Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted the figure in a report focused on diplomatic manoeuvring between the US, Qatar and Israel. The report quoted an official, saying: “Our estimate is that roughly 70,000 Gazans were killed in the war, not including missing persons.” The paper’s online outlet, Ynet, later published a short piece on the toll late on Thursday evening. It was not a headline on television news shows. The Israeli military also said it would open the key Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday, for the first time since Israeli forces seized control of the border area nearly two years ago, in May 2024. Palestinians who left Gaza could now apply to return for the first time since the war began, a spokesperson said. A European Union force would supervise the crossing, but Israel would retain full control of everyone who entered and left, the spokesperson said. Reopening Rafah has been presented as a central part of US efforts to push Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan for the territory firmly into a second stage. It will only be open to pedestrians, so will not ease shortages of food and shelter aid, medicine and other basic humanitarian goods in Gaza.

Islamic State claims attack on international airport and airbase in Niger

Islamic State in the Sahel has claimed responsibility for an audacious assault at the international airport and adjacent air force base in Niamey, the capital of Niger, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks jihadist activity and communications worldwide. The attack, which began shortly after midnight on Thursday, reportedly involved motorcycle-riding militants who launched a “surprise and coordinated” strike using heavy weaponry and drones, according to statements released via IS in the Sahel’s propaganda arm, Amaq news agency. The regional IS affiliate has been linked to high-profile attacks in Niger in recent months, killing more than 120 people in strikes targeting the Tillabéri region in September, and abducting an American pilot in October. The gunfire and explosions in the airport, which is about 6 miles (10km) from the presidential palace and Base Aérienne 101, a military base previously used by US and then Russian troops, hit at least three planes: one belonging to Ivorian carrier Air Côte d’Ivoire and two belonging to the Togolese airline Asky. A source at Asky said the airline staff were in their hotel away from the scene and remained in the city, with their passports still in the custody of the authorities. Niger, which has been led by a junta since the deposition of the democratically elected Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023, has previously blamed the chaos on its neighbours Benin and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as former colonial ruler France, without presenting any supporting evidence. In a statement aimed at Niger’s neighbours in the regional Economic Community of West African States and its former ally France, the head of the junta, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, said on national television on Thursday: “We have heard them bark, they should be ready to hear us roar.” Since the coup, Niger has exited Ecowas, joining ranks with fellow junta-run states Burkina Faso and Mali to form the Association of Sahel States (AES), which has issued its own passports and set up a regional development institution, the Confederal Bank for Investment and Development. AES sees some of its Ecowas neighbours as French proxies scheming along with Paris to derail development in the Sahel states as they grapple with jihadist activity. In its statement on Thursday, Nigerien authorities said the attackers arrived on motorcycles, and security forces quickly repelled their advance, killing 20 of the attackers and arresting 11 others. A stash of ammunition also caught fire, the government said. The Niamey attack happened about the same time as an attack using drones by jihadists in neighbouring Nigeria. The attack by Islamic State West Africa Province in the early hours of Thursday at the Sabon Gari army base in the north-east state of Borno left at least nine soldiers dead and several others wounded.

Hungary doubles down on opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession as Zelenskyy aims for 2027 – as it happened

… and on that note, it’s a wrap for today! Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán has stepped up his opposition to Ukraine joining the European Union, claiming the bloc was looking to admit the wartorn country in 2027 to help it benefit from the next seven-year financial budget (13:26). His comments come after Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeated his target to join the EU in 2027, despite some scepticism in the bloc about the accelerated process that would be required (9:58). Orbán’s comments will likely be seen as part of an increasingly fierce campaign ahead of this April’s critical parliamentary election in Hungary, which could see him ousted after 16 years in office (13:55). Separately, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy has said there were no Russian strikes on energy infrastructure overnight, after US president Donald Trump claimed he discussed a form of brief ceasefire with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin (10:37, 12:13). The Kremlin confirmed that Putin received a “personal request” from Trump on this issue, without clarifying what his answer was (11:26). The exchange comes as there is a growing question mark over whether this weekend’s trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US will even take place amid growing tensions between the US and Iran (10:11). And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today. If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com. I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.

‘Deeply ideological’: the rationale behind Iran’s insistence on uranium enrichment

A desperate effort to avert war between the US and Iran is once again under way, but trying to locate common ground between the two countries over Tehran’s nuclear programme has been made more difficult by escalating US demands, and by Iran’s ideological, deeply nationalist attachment to the right to enrich uranium. Iran’s ambitions to run its own nuclear programme pre-date the arrival of the theocratic state in 1979, and can be traced back to the mid-1970s when the shah announced plans to build 20 civil nuclear power stations. This prompted an undignified scramble among western nations to be part of the action, with the UK energy secretary at the time, Tony Benn, having more than a walk-on part. At the heart of the programme was a desire for national sovereignty and power, symbolised by the ability to enrich uranium. But the exorbitant price Iran has paid to exercise that right subsequently in terms of US sanctions, economic misery and now political instability raises questions as to Iran’s true motives. Asked by the Guardian in November in Tehran what cost benefit analysis could possibly conclude that the nuclear programme was a worthwhile project, the foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, referred to Iran’s sovereign right under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, the medical benefits, and the blood of previously assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists. He suggested a compromise whereby a consortium including possibly the US could enrich uranium in Iran, but insisted the principle that uranium would be enriched inside Iran remained sacrosanct. So seeking a rationale is difficult. Indeed, Ali Ansari, a professor of modern history at St Andrews University, says: “Those people looking for a rational explanation for Iran’s attachment to nuclear enrichment are not going to find it. It is deeply ideological, almost an obsession with national prestige. It is about making a point and riding the crest of an ultra-nationalist wave. “It also serves a political purpose, including highlighting the unfairness of the west and so nursing a grievance. But the refusal to compromise means that the Iranian economy is being run into the ground for no practical purpose. “The government tries to argue that what is being pursued is a national right, but this is incongruous because it is being pursued at the expense of other civil and human rights that Iranians could enjoy, including better schools and hospitals.” Iran first became seriously embroiled in nuclear power in 1974 when a steep rise in oil prices turned it into a wealthy nation, and the shah drew up plans for 24,000MW of electrical energy to be supplied by 20 nuclear power plants by 1994. With oil expected to decline by the mid-1990s, energy self-sufficiency was the goal, both in terms of the supply of energy, but also technical ability. That meant Iran leaned towards Europe, and not the US or Russia, for investment. The shah’s nuclear experts proposed that Britain and Iran set up a joint nuclear company combining Iranian capital with British technical expertise to oversee the development of the nuclear industry in Iran and the UK. Benn, as energy secretary, became a great fan of the idea, as did Sir William Marshall, the chief scientist at the energy department. As part of the plan, in which both sides would be treated as equals, the UK recognised it would have to help Iran to master the full enrichment cycle, something Henry Kissinger, the US secretary of state, was to come to regret. Ever since Iran started to enrich uranium in 2006, Iran’s relations with the west have turned on the nuclear programme and what was its ultimate purpose, and the conditions with which Iran could be entitled to enrich uranium, including determining the purity levels and stockpile size. There have been moments of breakthrough. In 2013, Iran suspended the right to enrich. And there have been periods of confrontation. Between 2005 and 2013, the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, spoke of Iran’s inalienable right to “industrial-scale enrichment under the NPT”. He denounced the west’s hypocrisy in trying to hold Iran back. “That means you [the west] have to climb down from your ivory towers and put aside your arrogance,” he used to say. By the time of the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran’s mastery of civil nuclear technology, including the enrichment of uranium on Iranian soil, had been elevated to “the absolute right of Iran”, according to Iran’s foreign minister at the time, Javad Zarif. Iran’s then president, Hassan Rouhani, declared domestic enrichment to be a “red line”. Ansari says: “Iran’s civil nuclear power is still being projected as a symbol of Iran’s modernity, but the nuclear programme is largely inherited from the shah in the 1970s and is not that modern. Even with full investment by the west, it is 10 years away, so it is not going to contribute greatly to Iran’s energy needs. Instead Iran is sitting on a massive alternative energy source in the form of solar.” He adds: “It leads one to conclude there are some that want the option of a nuclear weapon, but that the option is there for diplomatic leverage – to be able to say we warrant another meeting, and if they are given another meeting they can say we are still relevant and legitimate.” But matters have been made more intractable by the US apparently adding fresh demands, including restrictions on the range of Iran’s missile programme and an end to support for proxy groups in the region, such as the Houthis. Missiles have always been the backbone of Iranian defence. Any commitments by Iran not to arm the Houthis look inherently unenforceable. It is true that Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president and reformist, once said: “Tomorrow’s world is the world of dialogue not missiles.” But for that he was immediately rebuked by the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who said: “In this jungle-like world, if the Islamic Republic seeks negotiations, trade and even technology and science, but has no defence power, won’t even small countries dare threaten Iran? Our enemies are constantly enhancing their military and missile capabilities, and given this, how can we say the age of missiles has passed?” That remains the dominant ideology within which Araghchi is working.

Syrian government and Kurdish forces reach deal on permanent truce

The Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces have reached an agreement to extend a fragile ceasefire into a permanent truce, laying a framework for integrating Kurdish forces into the state and ending nearly a month of fighting. The agreement on Friday appeared to resolve escalating tensions between the two sides over the question of Kurdish autonomy in north-east Syria and paved a way for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to join Syria’s new army through negotiations, rather than battle. It also was a milestone for Damascus, which has sought to extend its control over the entirety of Syria’s territory, which for 14-years was carved up by competing militias and powers. The SDF had previously controlled about a quarter of the country and all of its main oilfields, constituting a significant challenge to the fledgling state’s rule. It came after Syrian government forces swept through north-east Syria, aided by the Arab and tribal elements, shrinking the territory controlled by the SDF by about 80%. The SDF chose mainly to withdraw from Arab-majority areas but were preparing to defend Kurdish-majority cities from government forces, when the deal was struck on Friday. Under the agreement, both sides would pull their fighters back from frontlines in north-east Syria and government security forces would enter the cities of Hasakah and Qamishli, the strongholds of the Kurdish authority.The SDF would integrate into the army, and the Syrian state would absorb the civilian institutions of the Kurdish authority. A new military brigade in the Syrian army would be formed, which would include three SDF brigades, as well as placing SDF fighters under government command in Aleppo. The Kurdish authority has operated as a de-facto autonomous zone for about a decade, with its own governing institutions and armed forces. Under Friday’s agreement, the scope of its autonomy shrinks significantly and would be replaced by unitary rule from Damascus. In a bid to reassure Kurds, one of Syria’s largest ethnic minorities, the deal also included “civil and educational rights for the Kurdish people, and guaranteeing the return of the displaced to their areas”. The agreement read: “The agreement aims to unify the Syrian territories and achieve the full integration process in the region by enhancing cooperation between the concerned parties and unifying efforts to rebuild the country.” The deal was praised by Tom Barrack, the US special envoy to Syria, who had been intensely mediating between the two sides over the last two weeks to stave off a full-scale war. He called it a “profound and historic milestone”. Barrack said in a post on X on Friday: “This carefully negotiated step, building on earlier frameworks and recent efforts to de-escalate tensions, reflects a shared commitment to inclusion, mutual respect and the collective dignity of all Syrian communities.” Friday’s agreement was more favorable to the Kurdish authority than previous ceasefire deals, and appears to have resulted from intensive diplomacy from the US and France, both of which maintain good relations from both sides. It also spelled a virtual end to the Kurdish-autonomous project of north-east Syria, but with relatively little bloodshed.

South Africa expels top Israeli diplomat over ‘insulting attacks’ on president

South Africa and Israel have engaged in a tit-for-tat expulsion of senior diplomats, after South Africa ordered Israel’s chargé d’affaires to leave within 72 hours, citing “insulting attacks” on South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, on social media. Ariel Seidman, the chargé d’affaires at Israel’s embassy in Pretoria, was declared persona non grata by South Africa’s department for international relations and cooperation (DIRCO) in a statement on its website on Friday afternoon. “This decisive measure follows a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa’s sovereignty,” the statement said. “These violations include the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, and a deliberate failure to inform DIRCO of purported visits by senior Israeli officials.” Within hours, Israel had hit back, expelling Shaun Edward Byneveldt, who is South Africa’s representative to Palestine, based in Ramallah in the West Bank. Israel’s foreign ministry posted on X: “Following South Africa’s false attacks against Israel in the international arena and the unilateral, baseless step taken against the Chargé d’Affaires of Israel in South Africa – that South Africa’s senior diplomatic representative, Minister Shaun Edward Byneveldt, is persona non grata and must leave Israel within 72 hours.” South Africa’s relationship with Israel deteriorated in December 2023, when South Africa launched a case at the international court of justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. In January 2024, the ICJ ruled that the claim of genocide was “plausible”. However, the case has since slowed and experts do not expect a judgment before the end of 2027. Israel has rejected accusations of genocide as “outrageous and false”. South Africa and Israel have long been at odds, due to the staunch support of the Palestinian cause by South Africa’s government. Soon after his release from prison in 1990, Nelson Mandela embraced the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. In 1997, Mandela, by then president of South Africa, said: “Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” Many South Africans see strong similarities between apartheid white minority rule and Israel’s grip over the occupied Palestinian territories, a comparison Israel refutes. Israel’s embassy in South Africa has regularly attacked the government on social media. “The South African government has thrown away R100 million [£4.6m] attacking Israel at the ICJ – with another R500 million to be wasted next year. 0% of value for South Africans, 100% political theatre,” it posted on X in November. Later that month, Ramaphosa said “boycott politics don’t work” in response to Donald Trump’s refusal to attend the G20 summit in South Africa. Israel’s embassy posted: “A rare moment of wisdom and diplomatic clarity from President Ramaphosa.” South African officials were angered earlier this week when Israeli diplomats met the Thembu king, Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, in the Eastern Cape province to discuss Israel providing agriculture, water and health aid, without first informing the government. Dalindyebo is pro-Israel and visited the country in December, where he was welcomed by the Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar. Eastern Cape’s premier, Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane, said in a statement that he “rejects the sinister deal between the king and Israel, and views these actions as an attempt by the Israeli government to undermine the sovereign right of the Republic of South Africa to manage its international affairs.” DIRCO said in its Friday statement: “Such actions represent a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna convention.” Israel’s embassy posted videos of Dalindyebo welcoming the offers of aid on X. “These are the videos the South African media didn’t want you to see,” it said. Mandela was also part of the Thembu clan, whose historic kingdom is now home to more than 400,000 people.