Managing the International Image of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Pathology and Recommendations

The experience of the last few decades has shown that the Islamic Republic of Iran has not performed well in the field of human rights, managing the reflection of internal protests, and justifying its regional policies. Part of this problem is due to external factors and the efforts of the anti-Iranian front; but the role and influence of internal factors cannot be ignored. Lack of common understanding of national interests among policymakers and those responsible for managing the international image of the Islamic Republic, security-oriented foreign policy and cultural exchanges, lack of an independent and responsible national institution in the field of national image, lack of institutionalized and defined communication/ division of work between active institutions in the field of public diplomacy and Iran's international image and not having a long-term plan in the field of public diplomacy and managing Iran's international image have been one of the most important internal obstacles and challenges in creating a favorable image of Iran in the world. Institutionalizing, national branding, actualizing the capacity of Iranians abroad, appropriate and targeted management of cultural agencies, accurate geographical/cultural/political target audience, optimal use of virtual space and management of daily messages are some of the solutions presented in this article to improve Iran's international image management.