Editing Soft power (section)

=== Iran ===
[[Iran|Iran’s]] soft power, driven by its [[Shia Islam|Shia Islamic ideology]], [[History of Iran|Iranian-Persian background, civilization and history]], the legacy of the [[Iranian revolution|1979 Iranian Revolution]] and [[Anti-Zionism|Anti-Zionist]] stance exerts significant influence in the Middle East, the broader [[Muslim world|Islamic world]], [[Central Asia]], [[Africa]] and even the West.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-13 |title=The Iranian Revolutionary Apparatus and Hezbollah in West Africa {{!}} Hudson Institute |url=https://www.hudson.org/node/44280 |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=www.hudson.org |language=en}}</ref> Central to this influence is the promotion of [[Anti-imperialism|anti-imperialist]], [[Islam]]ic, and [[Shia Islam|Shia]] ideologies like [[Khomeinism]] and [[Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist|political interpretation of Shia Islam]], which have fostered strong ties with the [[Muslim world]], especially countries in the "[[Axis of Resistance]]" such as [[Iraq]], [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], and [[Yemen]] that have led to the foundation of many Islamic and Shia groups such as [[Hezbollah]] in [[Lebanon]], [[Islamic Resistance in Iraq|Islamic Resistance groups]] in [[Iraq]], [[Palestinian Islamic Jihad|Islamic Jihad]] in [[Palestine]] and many others across the region. [[Iran]] also promotes the idea of a "[[Greater Iran]]," connecting culturally and ideologically with [[Persian language|Persian]]-speaking nations like [[Tajikistan]], [[Afghanistan]], and [[Pakistan]], where the [[Persian language]] plays a unifying role.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Akbar |first=Ali |date=2023-08-08 |title=Iran's soft power in the Middle East via the promotion of the Persian language |journal=Contemporary Politics |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=424–445 |doi=10.1080/13569775.2023.2169305 |issn=1356-9775|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lester |first=Stephanie |date=2024-02-09 |title=Return of the Cypress: Iran's Foreign Policy Ambitions in Central Asia |url=https://www.us-iran.org/news/centralasia |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=American Iranian Council |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

In the [[Muslim world|Islamic world]], Iran’s influence extends beyond its borders, particularly in countries of the [[Axis of Resistance]] and other countries like [[Bahrain]], [[Saudi Arabia]], and the Muslim world, where [[Shia Islam|Shia]] communities often look to [[Iran]] for religious guidance and political inspiration, and some [[Sunni Islam|Sunnis]] support the [[Axis of Resistance]] and are attracted by Iran's [[Anti-Zionism|anti-Israeli]] policies in countries like [[Palestine]], [[Qatar]] and [[Syria]]. Iran's cultural and religious outreach, including [[Media (communication)|media]], educational exchanges, and religious [[diplomacy]], strengthens its ties with Shia and Islamic populations worldwide. Iran's [[Anti-imperialism|anti-imperialist]] and [[Decolonization|anti-colonial]] stance, rooted in the [[Iranian revolution|1979 Islamic Revolution]], is attractive to many. By positioning itself as a defender of sovereignty against [[U.S. influence in the middle east|U.S. influence]], Iran resonates with [[anti-globalization movement]]s and intellectuals critical of [[Interventionism (politics)|Western interventionism]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

In [[Latin America]], Iran’s solidarity with [[Anti-imperialism|anti-imperialist]] governments, like [[Venezuela]], strengthens ties based on mutual resistance to U.S. domination, promoting a shared vision of self-determination. [[Ideology of the Iranian revolution|Iran’s ideological message]], combining [[anti-imperialism]], Islamic and Shia values, [[Iranian culture|Iranian cultural]] and [[History of Iran|historical roots]], and cultural diplomacy, has made it a significant actor on the regional and world stage, inspiring and fostering relations with a diverse range of countries committed to challenging Western domination and promoting an alternative vision of [[International order|global order]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Religion as a Soft Power Tool: Iran's Export of Twelver Shia Islam to Syria |url=https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/religion-soft-power-tool-irans-export-twelver-shia-islam-syria |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=rusi.orghttps |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Tracking Iranian Soft Power Influence in the KRI {{!}} The Washington Institute |url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/tracking-iranian-soft-power-influence-kri |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=www.washingtoninstitute.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Iran and Iraq: The Shia Connection, Soft Power, and the Nuclear Factor |url=https://www.usip.org/publications/2005/11/iran-and-iraq-shia-connection-soft-power-and-nuclear-factor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310194948/https://www.usip.org/publications/2005/11/iran-and-iraq-shia-connection-soft-power-and-nuclear-factor |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 10, 2017 |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=United States Institute of Peace |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Beyond guns and oil: The emerging soft power rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/beyond-guns-and-oil-emerging-soft-power-rivalry-between-iran-and-saudi-arabia |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=Middle East Institute |language=en}}</ref>