On Wednesday, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi received a red carpet welcome from Kenyan counterpart William Ruto as he began a three-country tour of Africa that Tehran has touted as a "new beginning" in relations with the continent.
Raisi's trip to Africa, which will also take him to Uganda and Zimbabwe, is the first by an Iranian president in more than a decade and represents a bid to diversify economic ties in the face of crippling US sanctions.
Iran stepped up its diplomatic outreach to developing world countries after then-US President Donald Trump ditched a nuclear pact in 2018 and reimposed sanctions.
In June, Raisi visited three Latin American countries to shore up support with allies also saddled with US sanctions.
Today, Saturday, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Iran's trade with African countries will increase to more than two billion dollars this year, without providing a comparative figure for 2022.
A video clip by the Kenyan presidency on social media showed that the guard of honor received Raisi at the Kenyan presidential palace before joining Ruto for a meeting.
Kenya's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that his trip to Kenya, an East African economic powerhouse, will provide the two countries with an opportunity to review and revitalize their bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of the people of both countries.
Raisi is next expected to travel to Uganda to discuss trade and bilateral relations with President Yoweri Museveni, and then to Zimbabwe.
The last Iranian leader to visit Africa was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2013.
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