Iran-Iraq-Pakistan ‘axis of sympathy’ signals a reshaping Southwest Asia
Earlier this month, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was buried in his hometown of Mashhad after a four-day ceremony. Many international delegations were present, but each country will have chosen their representatives with the utmost care. Sending high-ranking officials would go beyond mere diplomatic courtesy, and possibly signal an alliance.
- ▪Earlier this month, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was buried in his hometown of Mashhad after a four-day ceremony.
- ▪Many international delegations were present, but each country will have chosen their representatives with the utmost care.
- ▪Sending high-ranking officials would go beyond mere diplomatic courtesy, and possibly signal an alliance.
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Earlier this month, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was buried in his hometown of Mashhad after a four-day ceremony. Many international delegations were present, but each country will have chosen their representatives with the utmost care. Sending high-ranking officials would go beyond mere diplomatic courtesy, and possibly signal an alliance. Only two states sent their prime ministers to the funeral: Iraq and Pakistan, both of which share a border with Iran. This decision indicates an emerging “Axis of Sympathy” between the countries, a new Southwest Asian regional theater that breaks the simple binaries of the Middle East and South Asia. India – South Asia’s biggest power and Pakistan’s rival – sent a delegation that did not include Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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