Israeli occupation Foreign Minister Eli Cohen addresses a joint press conference after talks with his German counterpart at the Foreign Office in Berlin, Germany, on 28 February 2023 (AFP)

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's successful trip to Africa and Iran's expanding influence on the continent have alarmed "Israel", prompting the latter to dispatch its Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to meet with a number of African officials in an effort to improve relations with them.

According to a statement from Cohen's office, his trip was meant to strengthen connections with Africa in light of "the Iranian attempt to expand its activities on the continent."

Cohen, who was on an official trip to attend a biannual coordination meeting of the African Union, claimed he spoke with the head of an unnamed African nation without diplomatic ties with "Israel" on the sidelines of the midyear summit, Israeli media reported on Monday.

"Israel", according to its Foreign Ministry's claims, engaged in "normalization contacts with several African countries, including Niger, Mali, and Mauritania."

According to his office, Cohen also had meetings with other unnamed African diplomats and officials, as well as Kenyan Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua.

The Israeli Minister accused Iran of breaking the terms of the nuclear agreement and alleged that Kenya's position on the board of the [UN's] International Atomic Energy Agency gave it influence over the purported "international supervision of Iran."

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi landed in Kenya on July 12 on his first stop as part of a scheduled three-state African tour.

Raisi, who headed a cross-industry delegation, had plans to establish stronger ties with the designated countries through his trip and sign bi-mutual agreements in several fields including the trade and financial sectors. His mission comes in line with Iran's strategy to strengthen relations with friendly nations and in pursuit of economic multilateralism.

President Raisi also met with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who urged countries under Western sanctions to cooperate.

According to Mnangagwa, the two Presidents inked "a record" of 12 agreements on a variety of subjects, from telecommunications to energy. He believes these will enable Zimbabwe to utilize Iranian innovation and technology and to plan the construction of a tractor factory to aid in agricultural mechanization.

Additionally, the two nations agreed to cooperate on initiatives in the fields of research, science, and technology as well as energy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications.

Nasser Kanaani, a spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, called President Raisi's continental journey "a new turning point" that would strengthen commercial and trade ties with African countries.

It is worth noting that Raisi's visit marks the first by an Iranian president to Africa in 11 years and aligns with Iran's comprehensive foreign policy to strengthen relations with friendly nations and the pursuit of economic multilateralism, aiming to bolster Iran's presence in the African economy.

Last month, the Iranian President went on an official tour to Latin America where he visited Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela.