The United States has dramatically shifted toward an aggressive unilateralist foreign policy, moving from economic coercion to military interventionism that now threatens global stability.
Recent actions – including the abduction of Venezuela’s president and devastating strikes on Iranian civilians – have fundamentally undermined international law and left allies questioning Washington’s reliability as a partner.
In January 2026, US special forces executed “Operation Resolve,” bombing Caracas and capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was flown to New York on drug trafficking charges.
The operation, which killed 83 people including Cuban security personnel, drew immediate condemnation as a “flagrant violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty”.
International legal scholars note the operation violated Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits force against sovereign states.
Concerns regarding civilian safety in conflict zones have intensified.
Reports allege that US-guided weaponry struck structures in Minab, Hormozgan province in Iran, including a school, resulting in 168 deaths, including over 100 children.
Forty-five US senators have demanded Pentagon answers, noting the strike hit alongside 12 IRGC structures, raising questions about targeting protocols.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s rhetoric promising “death and destruction from the sky all day long” suggests systematic disregard for civilian protection.
This volatility directly threatens South Africa. Speaking at the Cape Town oil and gas conference, Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe warned that Middle East chaos exposes Pretoria’s vulnerability as a refined fuel importer.
With Brent crude topping $100 following Strait of Hormuz disruptions, South Africa faces April fuel hikes exceeding R3 per litre.
“Countries heavily reliant on refined imports remain particularly vulnerable to global market shocks,” Mantashe cautioned.Diplomatic friction has also surged.
Tensions peaked following comments by a US diplomatic representative in Hermanus, who reportedly criticized SA’s Constitutional Court rulings on apartheid-era chants and affirmative action laws, while questioning Pretoria’s relationship with Iran.
The remarks were perceived as interference in domestic sovereignty.
Consequently, Minister Ronald Lamola summoned the representative for a formal demarche, compelling an apology.
This has already led to retaliatory measures.
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has launched a Section 301 investigation into South Africa to determine whether it is engaging in “unfair trade”.
The official claims that it is part of a broader US effort to protect domestic industries from cheaper imports, will primarily focus on forced labor – specifically whether nations fail to block goods produced using such labor from entering their markets.
Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that the investigation may also cover subsidies, overcapacity, and other discriminatory practices that harm US commerce.
If unresolved, findings could lead to tariffs or fees, with the USTR aiming to conclude the process within months.
Consultations with affected governments have been requested, and hearings are scheduled for April 28, 2026.
Washington’s “nationalist conditionality” treats Global South nations as raw material suppliers rather than sovereign equals.
For South Africa – already navigating tensions with a superpower that bombed Caracas and killed Iranian schoolchildren – the message is clear: US partnership now comes with lethal consequences for those who resist its demands.
Sipho Moroka: From Caracas to Cape Town – The global fallout of Washington’s new interventionism
