The Role of Sport Diplomacy in Foreign Policy of IslamicRepublic of Iran

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of sport diplomacy in foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The entire research process included two steps: the first stage of research included qualitative research (using interviews with university professors and elites, reading articles, books and documents) and the second stage of the study included quantitative research of descriptive-analytical type (using Delphi and AHP method). After the end of the first phase of the study, 41 variables related to the main and the secondary aims of the research were identified after the end of the second phase of the Delphi method and the final screening. The results showed that the introduction of rich and civilized culture in Iran, the introduction of tourism attractions of the country and attracting tourists and paving the way for dialogue between different nations, facing less resistance in societies and countries of destination in political negotiations, the possibility of a reduction of military confrontation among countries and the reduction of the importance of military issues, no hostile tone in sport diplomacy along with higher attraction of this diplomacy were the most important roles of sport diplomacy in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the viewpoints of the elites.