Welcoming his Iranian counterpart at the Revolutionary Palace, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said he hoped that the alliance with Tehran would enable them to “face the aggressive policy of the USA together".

Diaz-Canel added that “Iran and Cuba must confront sanctions, threats, blockades and interference by Yankee imperialism and its allies with tenacious resistance”.

The President of Iran said “the conditions and circumstances in which Cuba and Iran find themselves today have many things in common” and stressed that both countries "have a desire to preserve independence".

Iran and Cuba are currently under US sanctions and are listed as states that support terrorism by the US State Department.

Raisi began his Latin American tour on Monday in Venezuela and Nicaragua.

The three countries are under Washington's sanctions and allied with Moscow.

During a speech at the Economic Forum in Havana, Raisi underlined that his country was “ready to work with Cuba in science and technology", particularly in the hydroelectric, thermoelectric fields and mining industries.

In Venezuela, both leaders signed 25 agreements that concern the education, health and mining sectors.

In Nicaragua, a "significant memorandum" was introduced aimed at promoting economic, commercial and scientific-technical cooperation.