Several political parties in Parliament are calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to make public the findings of an independent investigation into the alleged failure to follow his instruction to exclude Iran's Navy from the Exercise Will for Peace naval drills.
The exercises took place in Simon's Town, outside Cape Town, in January this year.
Ramaphosa says he is still considering the report and its recommendations. However, his office has indicated that the findings will not be released publicly due to national security concerns.
The investigation was conducted by an independent panel led by retired judge Bernard Ngoepe. It sought to establish why the President's alleged instruction regarding Iran's participation was not followed.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has criticised the decision to keep the report confidential.
EFF MP Carl Niehaus says the public has a right to know the findings and recommendations to prevent similar incidents in future.
Niehaus accused Ramaphosa of allowing himself to be intimidated by US President Donald Trump, arguing that the decision had undermined South Africa's diplomatic relations with Iran and China, which hosted the naval exercises.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has also called for the report to be released, saying national security should not be used to conceal an alleged failure to comply with presidential instructions.
DA MP Chris Hattingh questioned the time taken to complete the investigation and the costs involved, saying approximately R4 million had already been spent on legal fees alone.
Hattingh says the public should be informed about who received the President's instruction, who failed to implement it and whether those responsible will face consequences.
The DA is also demanding full disclosure of the costs associated with the investigation.
Meanwhile, the Inkatha Freedom Party's (IFP) Inkosi Nsikayezwe Cebekhulu has raised concerns about what he believes is pressure to accommodate Western countries.
Cebekhulu argued that countries should be free to determine their international partnerships and questioned the objections surrounding Iran's participation in the exercises.
He says it is concerning that Iran's involvement has attracted criticism, given that China and Russia have previously participated in similar naval engagements.
The controversy has raised further questions about South Africa's diplomatic relations and the circumstances surrounding Iran's participation in the January naval exercises.