Sport behind Public Diplomacy; Functional Components of Sport Diplomacy in Iran

The purpose of this study is to identify the role of sport as a soft power for Iranto facilitate its diplomatic relations after the nuclear deal. The research methodused in this study is mixed (qualitative and quantitative): in the qualitative part ofthe analysis, the study sample was selected via Snowball sampling based onpartricipants’ expertise in the sport diplomacy of Iran after two rounds of FuzzyDelphi Method (FDM) exploratory factor analysis. Seven components ofpolitical currents, cultural exchange, peacemaking, national unity, economicdevelopment, transformation, communication, and religious currents wereextracted. After identifying the study’s research variables in a structuralinterpretivemodeling, the relationship between variables was examined througha structural equation modeling test. The results of the structural equation modelindicated that political currents, cultural exchange, transformation andcommunication had a direct and significant effect on national unity. Therelationship between political and peacebuilding was not confirmed, but nationalunity and excellence in peace diplomacy had a direct and significant impact onthe economic development of societies.