President Ebrahim Raisi said that Iran has succeeded in turning US sanctions and threats into opportunities.

The Iranian president was welcomed by his Nicaraguan counterpart, Daniel Ortega, upon arrival in Managua on Tuesday evening, and said that "the US sought to stop our nation through sanctions and threats, but not only our nation did not give in, but it also created an opportunity out of threats and sanctions and made progress."

He contended that the Nicaraguan people's resistance to excessive demands and hegemonic powers contributed to their success and that the two countries share a desire for independence, freedom, and justice.

Raisi criticized Western powers for making "false" statements about their support for democracy and human rights, and encouraged the West, particularly the United States, to respect democratically elected governments. "But they do the opposite," he pointed out.

Read next: US sanctions on Iran killing children: Intercept report

He contrasted the US role in creating ISIS with the Islamic Republic's support for the fight against terrorism, saying, "They claim to fight terrorism but they martyred [Iran's] anti-terror hero General Qassem Soleimani," further noting that Tehran and Managua enjoy "strategic" relations.

Raisi highlighted the Islamic Republic's willingness to strengthen bilateral ties in a variety of fields, including science and technology.

For his part, Ortega said that the Iranian and Nicaraguan revolutions have deep roots in the fight against dominating arrogant powers, precisely the United States. 

Read next: Raisi: New world order shaping in favor of independent states

Raisi arrives in Nicaragua on the second phase of his three-nation tour of Latin America, leading a high-ranking political and economic delegation. He had previously visited Venezuela and will now travel to Cuba.

Speaking at a joint meeting of Iran and Venezuela's high-level delegations on Monday afternoon local time, Iran's president said a new world order is being formed in favor of freedom-seeking, independent countries, emphasizing that resistance to arrogant powers has resulted in significant achievements.

Ministers and other high officials from both countries signed a total of 19 cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding in the presence of Raisi and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro. The agreements aim to broaden Tehran-Caracas' cooperation in a variety of fields, including petrochemicals, as the two sides seek to boost overall cooperation in the oil industry.

Negation of unilateralism, the common policy of Iran, Nicaragua: FM Amir-Abdollahian

In response to Raisi's visit to Nicaragua, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated that both Iran and the Latin American country had a "negation of unilateralism" policy.

نیکاراگوئه، مقصد دوم سفر منطقه‌ای رئیس‌جمهور است.
وجود سوابق مثبت همبستگی سیاسی 🇮🇷و🇳🇮 در سازمان‌های بین‌المللی می‌تواند در توسعه همکاری‌ دوجانبه نیز تسری یابد.
نفی یک‌جانبه‌گرایی فصل مشترک سیاست دو کشور است.
نگاه به ظرفیت‌های آمریکای لاتین بخشی از سیاست خارجی متوازن دولت است.

— H.Amirabdollahian امیرعبداللهیان (@Amirabdolahian) June 14, 2023

In a tweet on Wednesday, Amir-Abdollahian stated that the Iranian administration's "balanced foreign policy" includes taking into account the capabilities of Latin American countries.

The top Iranian diplomat highlighted that positive records of political solidarity between Tehran and Managua in international bodies might hasten the growth of bilateral cooperation.