The Ideological Appeal and Its Impact on Iran's Strategic Depth in West Asia

This research was conducted to examine the ideological appeal and its impact on Iran's strategic depth in West Asia. The findings indicate that Iran's soft power, rooted in the values of the Islamic Revolution—such as justice-seeking, independence, and support for the oppressed—has succeeded in strengthening the country's normative legitimacy within the public opinion of the Muslim world. This normative legitimacy has been reproduced through tools including public and cultural diplomacy, resistance media, and the Islamic Revolution discourse, manifesting concretely in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen. In Iraq, religious and cultural diplomacy alongside support for the Popular Mobilization Forces; in Lebanon, the role of Hezbollah and resistance media; and in Yemen, moral support for Ansarullah, exemplify Iran's application of soft power to enhance its strategic depth. Despite external pressures and sanctions that have constrained Iran's economic and media capacities, the resistance discourse and popular support have managed to neutralize portions of these pressures. Ultimately, the research concludes that the soft power of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in conjunction with the Islamic Revolution, has become the most significant factor in expanding the country's strategic depth in West Asia, elevating Iran from the status of a dependent actor to that of a regional order-maker.