Iran’s Raisi seals 21 deals on Africa trip, attends drone exhibit in Kenya

Iran is seeking stronger ties to sub-Saharan Africa but faces competition from the Gulf and China.

Adam Lucente
Adam Lucente
Jul 14, 2023
JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP via Getty Images
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (C) inspects an honor guard upon his arrival for a state visit at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare, Zimbabwe, on July 13, 2023. — JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP via Getty Images

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi returned from his African tour on Friday with numerous cooperation deals as Iran seeks greater influence on the continent.

Raisi traveled to Kenya on Wednesday and then to Uganda later that day. On Thursday, he arrived in Zimbabwe. He returned to Iran early Friday morning. Raisi described Africa as the “land of opportunities” upon his arrival, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

All in all, Iran signed 21 cooperation agreements. The following is a breakdown of Raisi’s trip:

Kenya

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Continue reading this exclusive analysis

Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. Subscribe to AL-MONITOR to read this story and access everything we publish

Read By

White House logo NATO Logo World Bank logo European Union logo United Nations logo Foreign and Commonwealth Office logo Harvard University logo