Use of Public Diplomacy by the Supreme Leader of Iran in the Islamic Awakening Movement

The present article studies the application of public diplomacy by the Supreme Leader of Iran in the Islamic awakening movement. Public diplomacy is the process in which a country makes contact with the people of other countries to introduce its ideas and learn about their ideas and national ideals, introduce certain institutions, culture, and norms, and explain the objectives of its policies. In the course of the Islamic awakening movement, the Supreme Leader of Iran used public diplomacy. Drawing on the descriptive-analytical method based on the statements, letters, and sermons by the Supreme Leader, the present study shows that he always addresses the elites and masses of people in the Islamic world to introduce the ideals and values of the Islamic Revolution. This kind of traditional public diplomacy established discourses at crucial moments of history, particularly during the Islamic awakening since 2011, and was realized by directly addressing Muslims in the region, giving instructions to elites and reference groups, sending letters to the youths, holding international assemblies, and intelligently using the cyber space.