Soft Power of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Its Effects on the Strategic Interests and Objectives of the USA in Modern Iraq

After formation of the Islamic Republic in Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Iran declared its support of a stable, secure and independent Iraq that will be able and willing to reduce the influence of the United States in Iraq's internal developments while keeping its friendship with Iran. However, formation of a modern Iraq, with some different characteristics in the construction of power and politics made a new definition inevitable for the role and position of Iran’s soft politics and smart diplomacy. Iraq’s importance was more than anything else, because of the opportunity to provide capacity building in Iran's foreign policy at the level of bilateral relations, and also regional relations with the great powers. The purpose of this essay is to analysis the political influence of Islamic Republic of Iran in the modern Iraq, especially the main unprecedented role grasped in the political structure of the new Shiite and Kurdish forces in there. Out of this opportunity is that the Islamic Republic of Iran pursues its smart power to conquer the country's Shiite and Kurdish public opinion and takes advantage of the soft power to expand its relations with the Federal government of Iraq. Using the descriptive-analytic method, this article, is to answer the main question of how Iran’s soft power could hinder the realization of the strategic goals and policies of the USA lead coalition in an occupied country? The findings of this research suggest that the soft power of Islamic Republic of Iran in the modern Iraq is based on three areas of normative-doctrinal, cultural-social and political values which altogether has had a negative impact on the realization of the goals and strategic interests of the United States.