The Modalities of Iranian Soft Power: From Cultural Diplomacy to Soft War
| Date | 01 November 2015 |
| DOI | 10.1111/1467-9256.12084 |
| Author | Edward Wastnidge |
| Published date | 01 November 2015 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
The Modalities of Iranian Soft Power: From
Cultural Diplomacy to Soft War
Edward Wastnidge
The Open University
Through exploring Iran’s public diplomacy at the international level, this article demonstrates how the Islamic
Republic’s motives should not only be contextualised within the oft-sensationalised, material or ‘hard’ aspects
of its foreign policy, but also within the desire to project its cultural reach through ‘softer’ means. Iran’s
utilisation of culturally defined foreign policy objectives and actions demonstrates its understanding of soft
power’s potentialities. This article explores the ways in which Iran’s public diplomacy is used to promote its soft
power and craft its, at times, shifting image on the world stage.
Keywords: Iran; soft power; culture; foreign policy; public diplomacy
Introduction
Iran has a long history of showcasing its culture to the world, drawing on at times conflicting
reference points. This has formed a key part of its public diplomacy since the time of the Shah
and continues to influence the way the Islamic Republic projects influence on the world stage.
Public diplomacy has a long history of providing a means for countries to project their soft
power (Nye, 2008), and this article will explore the cultural aspects of Iran’s public diplomacy
in this endeavour. In doing so, it will examine two elements of Iranian soft power projection:
firstly culture-based initiatives and related foreign policy approaches, and secondly on defen-
sive aspects that permeate the Islamic Republic’s conception of the utility of soft power. This
will help to highlight a relatively unexplored aspect of not only Iran’s foreign relations, but
also those of authoritarian regimes which, with the exception of China, remain somewhat
under-researched. The emphasis is very much on ‘top-down’ initiatives, whereby the state has
control over the aspects of soft power that it wants to project and harness. What is particularly
instructive about the Iranian case, however, is the dualism that exists in the Islamic Republic’s
power structure, with an elected President enacting much of Iran’s public diplomacy on the
world stage, but with ultimate authority residing with the Supreme Leader who retains
control of the levers of Iran’s soft power. Although this dichotomy is not always clear in Iran’s
attempts at harnessing and projecting soft power, this article highlights some of the different
ways in which it can be articulated. Thus Iran provides us with an example of how a unique
theocratic regime enacts soft power on the world stage, while at the same time highlighting
its complex power structure.
Following an explanation of soft power and its limitations as an analytical tool, the
article provides a historical backdrop to Iranian soft power in the twentieth century. It then
demonstrates how soft power projection has been enacted through culturally defined foreign
policy approaches and initiatives, evidenced during the presidencies of both Mohammad
Khatami (via his Dialogue among Civilisations initiative) and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as
bs_bs_banner
POLITICS: 2015 VOL 35(3-4), 364–377
doi: 10.1111/1467-9256.12084
© 2014 The Author.Politics © 2014 Political Studies Association
To continue reading
Request your trial