Components of Ayatollah Khamenei's smart power over the enemies of the Islamic Resistance Axis

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Islamic Revolution Studies, Shahed University

2 Professor, Department of Political Science and Islamic Revolution Studies, Shahed University

Abstract

Purpose: One of the strategic areas of the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic has been to strengthen and increase the role and influence of the Islamic resistance in regional and international equations. Adoption of such a policy has caused damage to the interests of some political units that are hostile to the policies of the Islamic Republic in the field of foreign policy. Blocking Sunni countries, they have tried to resist the rise of the Islamic Resistance by sensing the danger of what they call the Shiite Crescent. Ayatollah Khamenei, as the leader of the Islamic Republic, determines the foreign policy strategy of the system in relation to how to deal with the enemies of the Islamic resistance; Therefore, this article seeks to answer the main question, what was the leadership style of Ayatollah Khamenei in the face of the enemies of the Islamic Resistance?
Research methodology: The method of this research is qualitative and of the type of documentary analysis. For this purpose, the theoretical framework of concepts related to intelligent power has been determined and then by studying Ayatollah Khamenei's speeches and positions, the components of his intelligent power have been analyzed.
Results: A study of Ayatollah Khamenei's positions and speeches based on Joseph Nye's smart power model indicates his use of transactional and inspiring leadership skills in dealing with the enemies of the Islamic Resistance.
Conclusion: The findings of the study indicate that Ayatollah Khamenei considers both soft and hard power in adopting strategies and policies towards the enemies of the Islamic resistance. Simultaneous use of soft and hard components of power in Ayatollah Khamenei's strategic policies has led to the success and increase of power of the Islamic resistance.

Keywords

References

-      Adami, Ali; Keshavarz Moghadam, Elham (2015), “The position of the resistance-oriented security complex in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, Quarterly Journal of Political Studies of the Islamic World, NO.16, 1-19. (In Persian)
-      Asadi, Nasser (2014), “Ayatollah Khamenei's Foreign Policy Discourse Analysis (Interactionist Discourse Against Dominance)”, Islamic Quarterly Journal of Islamic Policy Research, Second Year, No. 5, 107-132. (In Persian)
-      Bahmani, Mohammad Reza (2014), “New Islamic Civilization in the Thought of Ayatollah Khamenei (What and How the Civilization of the Islamic Republic of Iran Evolved)”, Philosophy and Theology Quarterly, No. 2, 198-237. (In Persian)
-      BBC Persian (2018/12/26), predicting the elimination of Israel 25 years come from?, available at https://www.bbc.com/persian/world-46689912. (In Persian)
-      Dehghani Firoozabadi, Seyed Jalal; Mortazavi Sharif, Ali (2017), “The decision-making model of foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the thoughts of Ayatollah Khamenei”, The Approach of the Islamic Revolution, No. 38, 113-130 (In Persian).
-      Etaat, Javad; Rezaei, Massoud (2011), “Theory of Realism and the Necessity of Reviewing Its Concepts”, Quarterly Journal of Foreign Relations, No. 2, 213-241. (In Persian)
-      Ghasemi, Zahra (2013), “Explanation and Study of Soft War in the Political Thought of the Supreme Leader”, Hebal Al-Matin Magazine, No. 3, 108-127. (In Persian)
-      Ghiasvand, Hassan; Nasiri, Reza (2015), “The Supreme Leader's Approach to the Foreign Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran with Emphasis on the Negotiation Method and the Concept of Heroic Flexibility”, Politics Quarterly, No. 1, 3 - 22. (In Persian)
-      Ghorbani Sheikhnshin, Arsalan; Karami, Kamran; Abbaszadeh, Hadi (2011), “Intelligent Power; The New Transformation of Power in the Age of Globalization”, Foreign Relations Quarterly, Third Year, No. 4, 125-150. (In Persian)
-      Guardian Council Research Institute, Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, available at: http://www.shora-rc.ir/Portal/home/?news/12410/237109/237629. (In Persian)
-      Hatami Rad, Mansour (2006), "Foreign Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the Perspective of the Supreme Leader", Hassoun Quarterly, No. 10. (In Persian)
-      Hovsepian Bearce, Y. (2013). Out of the Mouth of the Leader: The Political Ideology of Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. UCLA. ProQuest ID: HovsepianBearce_ucla_0031D_11825. Merritt ID: ark: /13030/m52c15t0. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4tc4k8c6
-      Information newspaper (2018/10/01), IRGC decisive response to terrorists, available in https://www.ettelaat.com/mobile/?p=98210&device=phone. (In Persian)
-      Iran newspaper (2017/06/20), shooting in the brain of ISIL, available in http://www.irannewspaper.ir/Newspaper/Page/6524/1/416274/0. (In Persian)
-      IRIB News Agency (2019/03/21), the Saudi government will fall into the hands of the Islamic Mujahideen, available in https://www.iribnews.ir/fa/news/2383950. (In Persian)
-      Islamic Republic News Agency (2018/09/22), the message of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution following the terrorist incident in Ahvaz, available in https://www.irna.ir/news/83040304. (In Persian)
-      Karimi, Abolfazl (2017), "The role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in identifying the security complex of the resistance", Monthly Research Monthly, Volume 2, Number 20, 1-14. (In Persian)
-      Masoudnia, Hossein; Fattahi Ardakani, Hossein and Jomehzadeh, Seyed Javad Imam (2018), “Analysis of the concept of power and its constituent sources from the perspective of Joseph Nye (hard, soft, smart)”, Bi-Quarterly Journal of Soft Power Studies, Year 8, Issue 18, 130-152. (In Persian)
-      Nye, J. S, (2019), Leadership and Intelligent Power, translated by Mahmoud Reza Golshanpajooh and Elham Shoushtarizadeh, Tehran: Abrar International Institute for Contemporary International Studies and Research. (In Persian)
-      Nye, J. S. (2008). The powers to lead. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
-      Nye, J. S. (2009). Get Smart: Combining Hard and Soft Power. Foreign Affairs. Vol. 88, No. 4, 160-163.
-      Nye, J. S. (2011). The Future of Power. New York: Public Affairs.
-      Nye, J.S. Jr. and Armitage, R.L., (2007), CSIS Commission on Smart Power. A smarter, more secure America Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington.
-      Preservation and Publication of Ayatollah Khamenei's office (2015/09/09), Statements in a meeting with different groups of people, available at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=30716. (In Persian)
-      Roustaei, Mohammad Taghi (2017), “An Analysis of Iran's Support for the Axis of Resistance in the Syrian Crisis; Relying on the approach of idealism and realism”, Regional Research, No. 15, 69-83. (In Persian)
-      Sadjadpour, Karim (2008). Reading Khamenei: The World View of Iran's Most Powerful Leader. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
-      Seifzadeh, Seyed Hossein (2005), Various Theories and Theories in Individual-Globalized International Relations Appropriate and Efficient, First Edition, Tehran: Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (In Persian)
-      The New York Times (2018/05/10), Trump Presses Arab Allies to Do More to Counter Iran, Availaable at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/us/politics/trump-arab-allies-iran.html
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2011), Foreign Policy Strategies from the Perspective of the Supreme Leader, Tehran: Islamic Revolution Research Institute. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2019/10/02), Statements during the meeting of the Supreme Assembly of IRGC Commanders at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/newspart-index?id=43632&nt=2&year=1398&tid=11101. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2019/03/13), a selection of statements made during the meetings of the families of the martyrs who defended the shrine http://farsi.khamenei.ir/newspart-index?id=41853&nt=2&year=1397&tid=11101. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei  (2017/06/07), The Reaction of the Supreme Leader to the Terrorist Incident in Tehran, Available at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=36773. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2019/02/11), Statement "The Second Step of the Revolution" to the Iranian nation, available at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/newspart-index?id=41673&nt=4&year= 1397&tid=11101. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2015/04/09), Meeting of the panegyrists of the Ahl al-Bayt with the Leader of the Revolution   http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=29404. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2014/07/23), Statements in the Students Meeting, Available at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/newspart-index?id=27046&nt=2&year=1393&tid=11101. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2012/02/03), Tehran Friday Prayer Sermons, Available at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=18923. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei  (2003/01/15), Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution during the Meeting of Hajj Agents, Available at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=3161. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2002/04/14), Statements in the Meeting of Officials and Ambassadors of Islamic Countries, Available at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/newspart-index?id=39394&nt= 2&year=1397&tid=11101. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2020/01/17), Tehran Friday Prayer Sermons, Available at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=44695. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2018/09/24), Meeting of the medalists of the Iranian sports caravan in the Asian Games in Indonesia with the Leader of the Revolution, http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=40555. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei  (2017/12/06), Statements in the Meeting of Officials and Guests of the Islamic Unity Conference, Available at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=38427. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2013/03/21), speeches in the holy shrine of Razavi, available at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/newspart-index?id=22233&nt=2&year=1392&tid=1022. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2018/05/09), Statements at Farhangian University, available at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=39542. (In Persian)
-      The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2015/05/06), Statements in a group meeting of teachers and educators across the country, available at: http://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=29639. (In Persian)
-      The The Preservation and Publication's office of the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Khamenei (2020/01/03), the message of condolence of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution following the martyrdom of General Qassem Soleimani and his fellow martyrs, Available at http://farsi.khamenei.ir/message-content?id=44554. (In Persian)
-      The Washington Post (2018/05/10), Iran’s supreme leader reveals private letter Trump sent to Arab allies, Availaable at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews /wp/2018/05/09/irans-supreme-leader-says-trump-is-making-demands-of-gulf-allies-the-u-s-wants-to-own-humiliated-slaves/
-      Vaezi Dehnavi, Abbas (2012), “Fundamentals of Foreign Policy in the Thought of the Supreme Leader”, Quarterly Journal of Contemporary Political Research, Third Year, No. 1, 141-169. (In Persian)
Volume 10, Issue 35 - Serial Number 35
October 2020
Pages 151-171

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics