Iran’s President Delays Africa Tour without Elaboration 

05 July 2023, Iran, Tehran: President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a cabinet meeting. (Iranian Presidency/dpa)
05 July 2023, Iran, Tehran: President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a cabinet meeting. (Iranian Presidency/dpa)
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Iran’s President Delays Africa Tour without Elaboration 

05 July 2023, Iran, Tehran: President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a cabinet meeting. (Iranian Presidency/dpa)
05 July 2023, Iran, Tehran: President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a cabinet meeting. (Iranian Presidency/dpa)

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi did not depart on a three-nation tour to Africa as planned, state media reported without elaboration.

Raisi was supposed to travel from Tehran on Tuesday morning, but no Iranian news outlets reported him leaving.

The country’s media said repeatedly over the past week that the president planned to visit Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. State media did not elaborate on why he hadn't departed.

Kenya's foreign ministry said in a brief statement that the visit was delayed until Wednesday morning so key memoranda of understanding could be finalized “that are central to the furtherance of relations.” The statement said the presidents would have a bilateral meeting after Raisi arrived.

It would be unusual for Iran's president to call off a foreign trip, though domestic visits sometimes are canceled.

In 2018, Iran canceled a visit by Iraq’s then-prime minister, Haidar al-Abadi, after he said he had no choice but to abide by renewed US sanctions on Tehran even though he opposed them.

Iran's then-foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, reportedly canceled a trip to Italy amid tense nuclear talks, citing his tight schedule.



Trump Diagnosed with Vein Condition Causing Leg Swelling, White House Says

Makeup partially covers the back of the right hand of US President Donald Trump as he shakes hands with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 16, 2025. (Reuters)
Makeup partially covers the back of the right hand of US President Donald Trump as he shakes hands with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 16, 2025. (Reuters)
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Trump Diagnosed with Vein Condition Causing Leg Swelling, White House Says

Makeup partially covers the back of the right hand of US President Donald Trump as he shakes hands with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 16, 2025. (Reuters)
Makeup partially covers the back of the right hand of US President Donald Trump as he shakes hands with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 16, 2025. (Reuters)

The White House said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump is experiencing swelling in his lower legs and bruising on his right hand, after photographs emerged of Trump with swollen ankles and makeup covering the afflicted part of his hand.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, reading a letter from Trump's doctor at a press briefing, said both ailments were benign. His leg swelling is from a "common" vein condition, and his hand is bruised from shaking so many hands, she told reporters.

The disclosure sought to put to rest a raft of internet rumors that the 79-year-old Trump might be suffering from a serious ailment based on the photographic evidence.

After Leavitt's briefing, the White House released the letter from a US Navy officer who is Trump's physician, Sean Barbabella. It said Trump underwent a suite of tests about the issues.

Barbabella said an ultrasound on the president's legs "revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70."

The letter said there was no evidence Trump had contracted deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease.

Additional exams identified no signs of heart failure, kidney impairment, or a systemic illness, Barbabella said.

Leavitt told reporters Trump was not experiencing discomfort due to the condition.

Barbabella also said that Trump had bruising on the back of his right hand.

He described this as "consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen."

"President Trump remains in excellent health," he said.

Kwame Amankwah, a physician who is chief of vascular surgery at the University of Connecticut in Hartford, said chronic venous insufficiency is usually an issue with the lower legs in which the veins have problems sending blood from the legs back to the heart.

It is usually treated with compression stockings and leg elevation, he said.

"Even if he doesn’t have heart disease, the condition needs to be addressed. If it’s not managed with compression stockings and elevation, severe swelling and ulcers can develop, warranting more significant medical interventions," Amankwah said.

Todd Berland, a physician who is director of outpatient vascular interventions at NYU Langone Health, said chronic venous insufficiency “has no overall effect on life expectancy. It's a quality-of-life issue, not a quantity of life issue.”

Trump underwent an extensive physical examination on April 11 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in suburban Washington. It said Trump had a normal heart rhythm and no major health problems.