A Prelude to the Role of Jihad in Formulating the Doctrine of the Foreign Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran

The efficiency of the foreign policy strategy depends on such factors as resoluteness in implementing the aims, reliance on active and constructive approach, emphasis on realistic as well as idealistic trends, meritocracy, necessity of accessing to all forms of power in order to confront with the enemies of humanity, consistency of the various parts of diplomatic system, benefitting from firm perceptive and attitudinal supports,making use of all cultural, political, legal, economic, psychological, and military means, and adopting encouraging andpunitivepolicies (carrot and stick policies). These doctrines and approaches are proposed to be consistent with the components of jihad in the political thought of Islam. The presumption of such a strategy is to modify the approach to the nature of jihad in political fiqh of Islam. Contrary to the common assumption, jihad does not refer only to military operations. This word signifies a process of foreign policy which begins with taking cultural measures, invitation and ends with resorting to military force. The strategy proposed by political fiqh to achieve an active, dynamic, and constructive foreign policy is the very jihadi strategy based on a concept which more extensive than the framework of the charter of United Nations.