Raisi wrapped up his three-nation tour of Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe on Thursday, becoming the first Iranian president to engage in an African tour in more than a decade.
Raisi has been looking to alleviate the pressure of U.S. sanctions by turning to non-Western countries and diversifying Iran’s economic partners. A day after the Iranian president arrived in Tehran, the country’s foreign ministry announced Iran’s trade with Africa is expected to increase more than $2 billion this year. Prior to the trip, Iran’s foreign minister called Africa the “continent of opportunities” due to its high economic potentials.
When Raisi was wrapping up his African tour, CNN decided to cover his trip while downplaying it. The news network called the trip an attempt by the Iranian government to shore up its alliances in the “developing world”. But the White House seems to have had a different take on the situation compared to what was being portrayed on American media. According to People Daily newspaper, the Kenyan government had to cancel Iran’s president’s visit at the last minute due to pressure from the U.S. and Israel. The fact that Kenya decided to move the meeting to another day and still receive the Iranian president shows the African country can greatly benefit from closer relations with Iran. So much so that it is willing to risk unnerving Washington in order to pursue ties with Tehran.
“Iran seeking to create a multilateral system that will serve as a counterweight”
Source » tehrantimes