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.
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BBK head Ralph Tiesler warns the nation is ill-prepared for a potential European conflict within four years, pushing to convert existing structures for 1 million people and upgrade warning systems, reflecting new security concerns.
Argentina's President Javier Milei has once again insulted Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during a speech in Madrid, a year after a similar incident caused a diplomatic dispute.
Russia launched its largest drone attack of the war, firing 479 drones and 20 missiles across Ukraine overnight, as part of its summer offensive. Ukraine says most were intercepted, but concerns grow over dwindling Western support.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to announce a major new defence and security investment plan on Monday that will help Canada reach NATO's target of spending 2% of its GDP on the military this fiscal year, according to two senior government sources cited by The Globe and Mail.
Southern California Edison’s upgraded wildfire models misjudged the Eaton Canyon fire’s scale by tenfold, raising concerns over its disaster preparedness as the blaze became one of the most destructive in U.S. history.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 8th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay is in critical condition after being shot three times — including twice in the head — during a campaign event in Bogotá.
Israel’s military says it has identified the body of top Hamas commander Mohammed Sinwar beneath a hospital in southern Gaza.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has condemned U.S. immigration raids and National Guard deployment in Los Angeles, calling for reforms instead of enforcement.
A 30-year-old woman was shot by police in Munich on Saturday evening after stabbing two people at Theresienwiese, a central park best known for hosting Oktoberfest.
As the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors convenes in Vienna this week, Iran faces mounting pressure on two fronts—fighting to avoid the reinstatement of UN nuclear sanctions and seeking relief from unilateral US sanctions—amid stalled indirect negotiations with Washington
A Qantas A380 flying from London to Singapore made an emergency landing at Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport after a passenger onboard required urgent medical attention.
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call to discuss the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and ongoing regional developments, Qatar’s Amiri Diwan announced Saturday evening.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, Beijing’s chief trade negotiator, is set to arrive in London on Sunday for a six-day visit, ahead of the inaugural meeting of the China-US Economic and Trade Consultative Mechanism scheduled for Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced.
The final match of the European Chovqan Championship, organized by the International Chovqan Federation, was held in Poland from June 5 to 7, 2025. In a historic victory, the Azerbaijan national team was crowned European champion for the first time.
BBK head Ralph Tiesler warns the nation is ill-prepared for a potential European conflict within four years, pushing to convert existing structures for 1 million people and upgrade warning systems, reflecting new security concerns.
Argentina's President Javier Milei has once again insulted Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during a speech in Madrid, a year after a similar incident caused a diplomatic dispute.
Russia launched its largest drone attack of the war, firing 479 drones and 20 missiles across Ukraine overnight, as part of its summer offensive. Ukraine says most were intercepted, but concerns grow over dwindling Western support.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to announce a major new defence and security investment plan on Monday that will help Canada reach NATO's target of spending 2% of its GDP on the military this fiscal year, according to two senior government sources cited by The Globe and Mail.
Southern California Edison’s upgraded wildfire models misjudged the Eaton Canyon fire’s scale by tenfold, raising concerns over its disaster preparedness as the blaze became one of the most destructive in U.S. history.
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