Designing a Model for Improving Soft Power Capacity in the Defense Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Emphasizing on the Strategies for Its Realization

Ways of ensuring security and confronting environmental threats and dangers involves top priorities of government’s decision-making and policymaking. In the meantime, due to the upgrading of soft threats, it is necessary to consider various dimensions of soft power, along with hard power, in pursuing defense and security policies. Countries which make good use of their soft power capacities in their defense policies achieve significant successes in their defense and security without suffering from excessive military costs. Hence, this study is intended to make an attempt to design a model for improving the capacity of soft power in the defense policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. To do this, the data was collected by survey method (interviews), and qualitative data analysis (grand theory method) was used for data analysis. The statistical population of this study consists of 22 professors, experts, and researchers in the field of this research selected by chain sampling method. The results indicated that the enhancement of soft power capacities in Iranian defense policy can bring about both positive and successful effects and implications in the formulation and implementation of defense policies. It can also result in positive outcomes at national and international levels for the Islamic Republic of Iran.