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.
France has closed four major Israeli company stands at the Paris Airshow for displaying offensive weapons, intensifying diplomatic tensions with Israel amid criticism of its actions in Gaza.
A community event turned deadly in West Valley City, Utah as gunfire erupted during a local carnival, killing three, including an eight-month-old baby and injuring two teens, after a dispute between two groups escalated.
The largest manhunt in Minnesota’s history concluded Sunday night with the arrest of Vance Boelter, 57, who is accused of killing Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband and wounding State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife in targeted attacks that have stunned the state.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 16th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The second China-Central Asia Summit commenced today (16 June) in Kazakhstan’s capital, marking a pivotal moment in deepening political and economic ties between China and the five Central Asian states: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
France has closed four major Israeli company stands at the Paris Airshow for displaying offensive weapons, intensifying diplomatic tensions with Israel amid criticism of its actions in Gaza.
A community event turned deadly in West Valley City, Utah as gunfire erupted during a local carnival, killing three, including an eight-month-old baby and injuring two teens, after a dispute between two groups escalated.
Kazakhstan has emerged as Azerbaijan’s top grain supplier, as trade between the two countries surged 20% in early 2025, reaching historic highs.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 16th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The second China-Central Asia Summit commenced today (16 June) in Kazakhstan’s capital, marking a pivotal moment in deepening political and economic ties between China and the five Central Asian states: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Pakistan will begin its first freight train service to Russia from Lahore on June 22. The route is part of the INSTC and aims to connect Pakistan's rail network with Central Asia, establishing a new trade corridor via Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.
Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted areas near the residences of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the New York Times, citing local witnesses.
The Israeli military has issued an evacuation advisory for Iranian civilians living near weapons production sites and associated infrastructure within Iran. The message was shared on the social media platform X in both Arabic and Farsi by an official military spokesperson.
Peace is no longer a dream. It is a discussion. On the streets of Baku and Yerevan, it is also a question, of trust, of foreign interests, and of who truly wants it.
An Air India flight with 242 passengers on board crashed in Meghaninagar, close to Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat, on Thursday afternoon.
China has expanded its nuclear arsenal at the fastest rate of any nation, reaching an estimated 600 warheads by early 2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Israel’s military on Monday reported a missile attack launched from Yemen, intensifying already heightened regional tensions following a dramatic escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran.
Israel launched a strike on Saturday targeting Iran’s energy sector for the first time in its current military campaign, hitting installations at the South Pars gas field, a major fuel depot in Tehran, and a nearby oil refinery.
Another group of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Russia has been evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan. During the night, a new group of orchestra members crossed into Azerbaijan through the Astara border checkpoint as part of the ongoing evacuation process.
The second China-Central Asia Summit commenced today (16 June) in Kazakhstan’s capital, marking a pivotal moment in deepening political and economic ties between China and the five Central Asian states: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
France has closed four major Israeli company stands at the Paris Airshow for displaying offensive weapons, intensifying diplomatic tensions with Israel amid criticism of its actions in Gaza.
A community event turned deadly in West Valley City, Utah as gunfire erupted during a local carnival, killing three, including an eight-month-old baby and injuring two teens, after a dispute between two groups escalated.
Kazakhstan has emerged as Azerbaijan’s top grain supplier, as trade between the two countries surged 20% in early 2025, reaching historic highs.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 16th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The second China-Central Asia Summit commenced today (16 June) in Kazakhstan’s capital, marking a pivotal moment in deepening political and economic ties between China and the five Central Asian states: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
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