Iranian Media Diplomacy in Afghanistan after the Fall of the Taliban

Media diplomacy is amogn the tools that have been considered as one of the elements of soft power for securing the country's national interests. In this relation, it is of utmost importance for the Islamic Republic of Iran as a regional power to take advantage of media diplomacy. This paper addresses Iran's exploitation of media diplomacy in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. The statistical data have shown that the Islamic Republic of Iran has not adopted a suitable strategy for its media diplomacy in Afghanistan, preventing Iran from taking advantage of the potentials existing in this regard for securing the country's national interests. This will also affect national security, because Iran has always been vulnerable to threats arising from its eastern neighbor.