Opportunities and challenges facing the soft power of the Islamic Republic of Iran after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

The main purpose of this article is to examine the opportunities and challenges facing Iran's soft power after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, based on the SWOT matrix. In this regard, the question that arises is "What opportunities and challenges does the soft power of the Islamic Republic of Iran face after the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan and the re-establishment of the Taliban government in this country ?" The results of the research, which has been obtained by descriptive-analytical method approach and application of SWOT model, show that cases such as: 1- Iran's irreplaceable economic influence in Afghanistan; 2- Enabling the strengthening of trilateral cooperation between Iran, China and Russia and reducing US influence; 4- Instruments of pressure and deterrent power of Liwa Fatemiyoun; And 4. Public dissatisfaction with Biden's performance in Afghanistan and the new state of the media created in Iran's favor have provided opportunities for Iran to exercise soft power and play a leading role in the region. Meanwhile, there are also challenges such as 1. Taliban ethnicity; 2- The possibility of influencing ideas such as ISIS and the Islamic State of Khorasan province in the Taliban; 3- The possibility of the Taliban's coercive approach towards the Shiites; 4. The influence of the governments of Pakistan, Qatar and Turkey in the context of the developments in Afghanistan is one of the obstacles and threats to the influence of the soft power of the Islamic Republic of Iran.