Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has served as a mediator between the United States and Iran, announced he will attend the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, set to take place this week in Iran.
Iran is preparing for what is expected to be the largest funeral in its history, that of Khamenei, who was killed by Israel in the opening strike of what Israel has called Operation Lion's Roar.
Sharif's announcement that he will take part in the funeral raises pointed questions about how "objective" Pakistan can really be as a mediator between Washington and Tehran. Analysts have also noted that Pakistan was the only country in the region not attacked by Iran during the recent war, despite sharing a border with Iran and maintaining close ties with the United States.
At the same time, a theory has spread widely online suggesting Sharif was not necessarily invited because of his closeness to the regime in Tehran, but rather to serve as a human shield against Israel.
According to this theory, Iran is more concerned than anything about a possible Israeli strike during the funeral, given that Israel has made clear it does not consider itself bound by the agreement signed between the United States and Iran. Iran, the theory goes, found its solution by inviting the Pakistani prime minister, the leader of a nuclear-armed state, as the ultimate deterrent meant to keep Israel from striking during the funeral proceedings.
It should be noted this human-shield theory is speculation circulating on social media and has not been confirmed by any official source in Iran, Pakistan, or Israel.
