Iran hosted the Tehran Dialogue Forum on May 18–19 with 200 delegates from 53 countries, showcasing its soft power through diplomacy while also highlighting military strength—an approach echoing the "smart power" concept of balancing dialogue and deterrence.
Iran hosted the Tehran Dialogue Forum on May 18-19 participated by 200 high-ranking delegates from 53 countries by which it showcased its diplomatic soft power while the Islamic Republic has in the past weeks also unveiled its underground bases of ballistic missiles and drones.
Joseph Samuel Nye Jr. (January 19, 1937 – May 6, 2025), American political scientist and co-founder of the international relations theory of neo-liberalism, developed the notion of soft power including cultural and academic strengths in the late 1980s distinguishing from hard power such as the military might.
In the early 2000s, he co-developed the term smart power as the ability to combine hard and soft powers to secure a successful strategy.
Although Iranian statesmen have been at loggerheads with their US counterparts since the 1979 Islamic Revolution which toppled the pro-west Shah monarchy, they appear to have implemented Nye’s smart power notion in more viable ways by hosting such dialogue forums.
Organized by Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the fourth Tehran Dialogue Forum brought in prime ministers, presidential aides, foreign ministers, and former government officials from regional countries including Azerbaijan and Armenia from South Caucasia, Afghanistan and Tajikistan from Central Asia, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, and Iraqi Kurdistan from the Persian Gulf and Middle East, and the secretary general of Shanghai Security Organization as speakers of the event.
The main message sent by convening this year’s forum was that Iran is able to organize a regional platform for discussions on key issues simultaneous with wielding its military power and while at the bargaining table in the ongoing negotiations with the US on its nuclear enrichment program.
The U.S.-imposed Thursday deadline on Ukraine’s peace plan is no longer Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, adding that “the de...
Galatasaray suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in the fifth round of the UEFA Champions League....
Beijing on Tuesday denied claims that it “detained or harassed” a resident from the disputed India-China border region at Shanghai airport, while ...
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he will send special envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin, aiming to resolve ...
The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region erupted on Sunday morning (23 November), covering nearby villages in ash....
The U.S.-imposed Thursday deadline on Ukraine’s peace plan is no longer Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, adding that “the deadline for me is when it’s over.”
Galatasaray suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in the fifth round of the UEFA Champions League.
Beijing on Tuesday denied claims that it “detained or harassed” a resident from the disputed India-China border region at Shanghai airport, while reaffirming its claim over Arunachal Pradesh, which China refers to as Zangnan.
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he will send special envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin, aiming to resolve remaining differences in a peace framework for Ukraine.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano in north-eastern Ethiopia erupted on Sunday for the first time in over 12,000 years, before halting on Monday, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center.
U.S. President Donald Trump has told his advisers that he plans to speak directly with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro according to Axios, as Washington designated him as the head of a terrorist organisation on Monday. A claim Maduro denies.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has once again expressed strong support for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, condemning foreign interference and criticising U.S. actions in the region.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during last weekend's G20 summit in South Africa, Lee's office said on Monday.
The United States is preparing to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, four U.S. officials told Reuters, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on President Nicolas Maduro.
Georgia has formally invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Tbilisi in 2026, following Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s meeting with the Pontiff at the Vatican on Monday 24th November.
The IDF confirmed on Tuesday that the remains of an Israeli hostage has been received by the International Committee of the Red Cross and is on its way to Gaza.
A new platform uniting Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) from the Member Countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was launched in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday, with MP Azer Allahveranov elected as its chairman.
Türkiye is reaffirming its role as a diplomatic center in the Russia–Ukraine war, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan telling President Vladimir Putin that Ankara pushes for a just and lasting peace.
Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in Gaza on Monday near the line separating zones of Israeli control, exposing tensions in the ceasefire agreement signed on 9 October.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment