Iranian president arrives in Zimbabwe to anti-West songs for the last stop on a rare Africa trip

By FARAI MUTSAKA
Associated Press

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has been welcomed in Zimbabwe by people singing songs criticizing the West. He arrived on Thursday for what’s expected to be the last stop of a three-nation Africa trip. Raisi was greeted at Harare’s international airport by Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who thanked the Iranian leader for showing “solidarity.” Both countries are under U.S. sanctions. Raisi’s trip to Africa, which has already included stops in Kenya and Uganda, highlights Iran’s efforts to build new partnerships in a bid to soften the impact of those heavy economic punishments.