TEHRAN — Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi will depart for a Latin American tour on Sunday to bolster relations with "like-minded and friendly states" there, reported the state-run IRNA news agency.
Accompanied by a delegation including the ministers of foreign affairs, oil and health, Raisi is scheduled to sign multiple agreements on political, trade, industrial and scientific cooperation with Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba.
The Islamic Republic's growing tendency toward Latin America dates back to the tenure of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013). Known for his anti-Western rhetoric, the hard-line leader relentlessly pursued partnerships with leftist Latin American states, promoting the notion of expanding Iran's influence in "America's backyard" to curtail the influence of its arch-foe.
A slew of US sanctions slapped on the Islamic Republic and those three states in recent years has created even greater common ground. Iran and Venezuela signed a 20-year partnership agreement last July, when President Nicolas Maduro visited Tehran and was lauded by Raisi for his resistance against "imperialistic sanctions and pressure."
