South Africa – Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema declared firm support for Iran’s right to self-defense following US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, speaking at a memorial service for 10 party members killed in a bus crash near Vryheid earlier this week.

Malema was speaking at the funeral of ten EFF members from Vryheid who died in a bus crash earlier this week.

The EFF leader addressed mourners Sunday at Cecil Emmett Hall in Vryheid, where he linked South Africa’s liberation struggle to current conflicts in the Middle East. His comments come amidst the United States attack on Iran’s main nuclear sites this morning, after more than a week of Israeli air strikes on Iran.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” President Trump announced Saturday night on Truth Social. The strikes marked the first direct US military intervention against Iranian nuclear assets.

“We stand in full solidarity with Iran – a country under siege from Western Imperialism for choosing independence. We reject the bullying of this nation by the United States, Israel and its allies. We stand by their right to defend themselves by any means necessary. Let Israel finally have a taste of the devastation and violence it has perpetrated in Gaza,” Malema told the gathering.

The memorial service honored 10 EFF members who died when their bus collided with a truck on the R34 near Ulundi Monday night. They were members of the EFF who were returning from a June 16th Youth Day rally in Durban. Transport authorities confirmed 10 people had died in the crash — not 12, as previously reported.

“These fighters died in the line of duty. They must be remembered as heroes,” the EFF said in a statement following the accident.

During his address, Malema drew parallels between South African youth resistance and Palestinian struggles. He also reiterated support for Palestine, and said the struggle of the young people in South Africa is global and that the pain of the children in South Africa is connected to the pain of the children in Palestine, where bombs are dropped on homes and schools.

The US strikes targeted three major nuclear enrichment facilities in the country. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded that the U.S. attacks targeting the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites would have “everlasting consequences,” though the International Atomic Energy Agency reported no radiation leaks.

Malema’s comments come amid heightened scrutiny of his international rhetoric. The UK recently denied him a visa, citing his “extremist” positions, repeated justification for terrorist violence, and incendiary comments about race. British authorities specifically referenced his public support for Hamas and statements about arming the Palestinian group.

At an October 2023 rally outside the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria, Malema had declared: “There is nothing wrong with what Hamas did.” He later vowed his party would “arm Hamas” if it came to power.

The EFF leader has consistently framed US actions in the region through an anti-imperialist lens. In March, he told parliament that “we are being punished for supporting Palestine against apartheid Israel — nothing else.”

Provincial authorities continue investigating the fatal bus crash. “Conflicting survivor accounts have surfaced, with some alleging the bus driver attempted to overtake, while others claim he may have fallen asleep behind the wheel,” said KwaZulu-Natal Transport MEC Siboniso Duma.

The accident claimed three women and seven men, with at least thirty passengers were injured. Most hospitalized members have since been discharged.

As tensions escalate in the Middle East following the US strikes, Iran launched its 20th wave of missile and drone strikes against Israeli military targets, according to Iranian state media Fars. The conflict has intensified since Israel’s initial attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities June 13.

The EFF continues to position itself as a voice against what it terms Western imperialism, with Malema using the memorial service to reinforce the party’s international solidarity stance despite domestic electoral setbacks and internal divisions.