Middle East war: Ramaphosa’s message to Trump

President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump exchange words during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on May 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Picture: Getty Images President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa is available to play a contributory role in the Middle East conflict if needed. “South Africa is always ready to play a contributing role, either in mediation or whatever,” Ramaphosa said while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the 2026 Africa Energy Indaba in Cape Town on Wednesday.

This is as tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reporting tohave “complete control” of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, while Israel launched new strikes on Iranian and Lebanese targets. Ramaphosa added that SA is always ready to fulfil its obligations as a country willing to help address global problems such as conflict, climate change, poverty and inequality. “And if a gap opens or if we are asked, we always live up to obligations, we are a global citizen and we therefore can play whatever role the UN would like us to play,” he said.

“We have issued a clear statement that we want a ceasefire, we want this madness to come to an end.” Ramaphosa said the best way to end conflict is through dialogue, and if an opportunity arose, SA would have a conversation with United States President Donald Trump. “Donald Trump is very busy right now. He’s got a war on his hands and obviously, if the opportunity were to open, we would talk and say there must be a ceasefire.

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“A dialogue is always the best way of ending conflict and we want this war to come to an end immediately. We are losing too many lives and unnecessarily so.”

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