Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also a former Army General, has struck a deal in the Middle East, which will see Zimbabwe purchasing weapons from Iran in order to bypass sanctions imposed by western countries.
The Iranian newspaper, Iran Observer, confirmed the development on Tuesday afternoon.
“BREAKING Zimbabwe, which is under sanctions from the West, is going to purchase Iranian weaponry,” the publication posted on X.
The deal was struck by Chiwenga, who recently toured an export exhibition in Tehran.
This development comes as the country faces a longstanding arms embargo imposed by the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) since 2002.
During his visit, Chiwenga was also amazed by the agricultural innovations being implemented by the Iranians.
“We have seen quite a lot of interesting things at the agricultural pavilion… Their development of the embryo is such that they double the size and the quality is what struck us,” said Chiwenga.
“That kind of innovation, that kind of technology we would want Iran to share with us.”
Chiwenga added: “We saw tractors and these tractors are the best we can use them for our rural industrialisation. They have smaller ones for smallholder farmers, medium size and bigger ones which can be used by commercial farmers.”
Zimbabwe’s ability to purchase weapons from Western countries is severely limited due to the arms embargo, which was put in place following the controversial land reform program and allegations of human rights abuses by the government.
The EU and US have maintained that the arms embargo is necessary to prevent the Zimbabwean government from using military force to suppress political dissent and perpetuate human rights violations.
In light of these challenges, Zimbabwe has turned to other countries, such as China and Russia, to meet its military needs.
Chiwenga emphasised the government’s commitment to rural industrialisation and economic development, and sees partnerships with countries like Iran as key to achieving these goals.
“In the health sector, we have seen quite a lot as well. They are going to establish the production of medicines in Zimbabwe. We want them to come with hospital equipment like cancer machines, dialysis machines among a host of hi-tech innovations we have seen here,” he said.
Iran has been under western sanctions for a combination of reasons, including its nuclear program, which Western governments fear is intended for military purposes, despite Iran’s claims of civilian use.
Iran’s alleged support for terrorism, including organisations like Hezbollah and Hamas, which reportedly aim to destroy Israel, has led to sanctions.
The country’s regional policies, including its support for Palestinian groups and its threats against Israel, have contributed to sanctions.
A week ago, the US government slapped new sanctions on Iran in retaliation for its recent missile and drone strikes on Israel, as tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East.
