New Delhi, May 4 -- Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi's visit to Sri Lanka last week was not a mere state visit by another head of state as the event coincided with the ongoing geopolitical upheaval in which Tehran stands at the epicentre. Thus, Raisi's visit to inaugurate the Iranian-funded Uma Oya project sent political messages beyond diplomacy.

Historically, Iran and Sri Lanka have maintained cultural ties that date back to antiquity. Reports narrating the trade network of the Indian Ocean written by Greek navigator Cosmos mentioned that Persian merchants often visited the ports in Sri Lanka during the kingdom of Anuradhapura. A trilingual inscription carved by Chinese Admiral Zheng He in the 15th century contained Persian as one of th...