President Raisi made the comment on Wednesday, following a meeting with Bakary Yaou Sangaré, who assumed the role of Niger's foreign affairs minister after a military coup in July.

In a statement on the website of the Iranian president, Mr Raisi praised Niger's "desire for independence” and “resistance against the European hegemonic policies”, which he said signalled Africa’s “real transition from colonialism".

Niger is the latest African country that Iran has wooed as it seeks to end its international isolation.

In September, President Raisi met the foreign minister of Burkina Faso’s junta Olivia Rouamba. During the meeting, he applauded African countries for their “resistance in the face of colonialism and terrorism”.

In July, he visited Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe, marking the first visit by an Iranian president to Africa in more than a decade.