How the Iran-Pakistan ‘Axis of sympathy’ could reshape power in South Asia

Last 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 whom share a border with Iran. This decision indicates an emerging “Axis of Sympathy” between the countries, a new South-West Asian regional theatre 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. Modi had also failed to condemn Khamenei’s assassination in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28.

Indian network WIONews – owned by ZEE Media, India’s largest registered news network – gave the impression that Iran-India relations were in a good place. On 6 July 2026, the day of the funeral, one headline stated “‘Iranians will never forget’: Iran appreciates India’s participation in Khamenei funeral”.

Headlines like this fail to acknowledge a more profound geopolitical shift. One of the main consequences of the ongoing US-Israeli war with...

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