The Role of Senior Managers of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Governmental Apparatuses) and Non-Instrumental Components in the Convergence of Regional Shiites

Abstract

The purpose of writing this article is to emphasize the spiritual and faith-based capacities of the nation and to further strengthen these capacities both in slogans and in practice. In addition, another objective of this article is to draw the reader’s attention to the fact that Iran’s non-instrumental capacities are not dependent on material tools but rather on spiritual and faith-based dimensions, and therefore appear to be invincible. What we are witnessing today in the world is the use of economic, military, and cultural tools by great powers in order to dominate other countries. Hence, the West, and at its head the United States, by employing these sources of soft power, attempts to capture the minds of nations and subsequently shape the transformations that follow. In this context, since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been exposed to the West’s soft warfare and has been under the heaviest assaults of the enemy’s psychological warfare. Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic of Iran has strengthened its position over the past more than forty-three years and has thwarted the West from achieving its objectives. The question that arises at this point is: with what instruments and through which capacities has Iran confronted the West from a position of power? The hypothesis of this article is articulated as follows: it appears that the Islamic Republic of Iran, by making use of sources of soft power (qualified guardianship and leadership, the nation’s adherence to religious values, and loyalty to the system)—which are not material but spiritual and faith-based—has advanced along this path and achieved victory. Accordingly, in the present article, alongside a brief examination of the dimensions and objectives of soft warfare, and by reference to the statements of Imam Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace) and Ayatollah Khamenei, we have explored the sources of Western soft power from Joseph Nye’s perspective, and have referred to the soft power components of Iran as “non-instrumental components.” Subsequently, the sources of soft power of the Islamic Republic of Iran—which are summarized in qualified guardianship and leadership, the nation’s adherence to religious values, and loyalty to the system—are highlighted, and emphasis is placed on the importance of unity and possessing insight.