Iran’s Conflict and Its Implications for Africa. Johannesburg, South Africa — March 20, 2026 A surge in violence in Iran, marked by Israeli air strikes and escalating tensions, has taken a heavy toll on civilian populations, according to local reports.
The conflict has killed more than 1,500 people in recent weeks, including the tragic death of a two-year-old girl, Zainab Sahebi, in an Israeli air strike.
This escalation has not been confined to civilians, as senior military officials, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have also been killed. For Africa, the crisis in the Gulf region is more than an economic concern.
The instability has historically led to sharp increases in fuel prices across the continent, affecting transportation, electricity generation, and food supply chains.
This has resulted in rising inflation and higher food prices, a situation that is acutely felt from Lagos to Dakar.
The underlying question for African governments is whether the rules governing the use of force between states still apply. Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter prohibits states from using military force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, except in self-defence or with UN Security Council authorisation.
None of these legal thresholds were met in the strikes on Iran.
The pattern across Iran, Libya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is clear: leaders seeking to assert national control over strategic resources face confrontation with Western dominance. This has historical precedents, such as the Congo Free State and the Spanish-American War, where powerful states acted with impunity, reshaping governments at will.
Africans have witnessed how Western military campaigns can expand far beyond their stated purpose, as seen in the aftermath of the NATO intervention in Libya.
This has left the country politically fractured and unstable, a situation that has had wider regional implications.
As the situation unfolds, the United Nations and the UN Charter remain crucial in maintaining the international order.
African leaders must respond with clarity and resolve, demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities and condemnation of the leaders responsible for the escalation.
The Organisation of African Unity, founded in 1963, was a response to centuries of external intervention on the continent. Its core principle of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity remains relevant today.
It is time for African leaders to defend these principles and stand up to the many faces of imperial power.
