The Impact of the Soft Power of Sports Diplomacy on Iran-US Relations: A Case Study of Wrestling Diplomacy (1998 – 2013)

One of the most important issues in international relations is the concept of "power". Joseph Nye's initiative in separating hard power from soft power gave new form to the definition of power. Sports diplomacy is considered as one of the key ways of forming soft power and countries are trying to find solutions to reduce tensions, political, economic and social effects with other actors in this supply. The strong presence of Iranian national teams, especially wrestling, in popular international events such as the Olympic Games has created an opportunity for sports to help improve Iran's position in the new world structure, even reducing tensions with its longtime enemy, the United States. Therefore, the present study seeks to answer the question that what role did the soft power of sports diplomacy, especially wrestling, play in Iran-US relations from 1998 to 2013? Studies using the soft power theoretical framework showed that the main hypothesis about the impact of wrestling on the formation of the soft power of sports diplomacy, at critical times and at the lowest cost has helped to improve Iran-US relations. This study also offers suggestions for better use of ship soft power to reduce problems in Iran-US relations.