Media, Identity, and Soft Power in the Regional Competition of Turkey and Saudi Arabia with Iran

Volume 9, Issue 3 - Serial Number 34
Autumn 2025
Pages 287-311

Document Type : Original Article from Result of Thesis

Authors

1 studend

2 Department of International Relations, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran

3 , Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law, Theology and Political Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
The media plays a decisive role in identity and geopolitical competitions among rival actors in the regional environment and international politics. The positioning of media in the realm of international politics has significantly advanced with the third wave of the technological revolution. Media components and communicative actions have acquired an influential and determining role in shaping the political and strategic relations of states. Turkey and Saudi Arabia has a media-oriented nature. The core issue in international competition revolves around controlling the minds and public opinion of rival nations’ citizens.The central question of this article is How do media tools, identity, and soft power of Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia influence regional competitions? The article's hypothesis posits that media tools have played a significant role in the geopolitical, security, and strategic rivalries between Turkey and Saudi Arabia against Iran.This study employs the network society approach and normative transfer as its theoretical framework. Methodologically, the research is based on data analysis and content analysis. The objective is to examine the mechanisms of media and communicative actions employed by Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the regional soft war and their interactions with Iran within the broader regional context

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