The Use of Psychological Warfare in Iranian Online Media Regarding Issues in Arab Countries

An Analytical Study of the “Iran in Arabic” Website

Abstract

Objectives: This research aims to analyze the content of Iranian online media directed at Arab audiences, reveal how psychological warfare tactics are employed in its media content, and identify the core ideas and communication strategies adopted by these outlets to influence public opinion in Arab countries.
Methodology: The research adopted a survey approach using content analysis, based on the units of “idea” and “topic.” The researcher selected the website “Iran in Arabic” as the study sample, analyzing all 1,118 news articles published on it between January 1 and June 30, 2021.
Results: The research reached a set of findings, most notably: the website’s reliance on three main ideas and 11 psychological warfare tactics in its coverage of issues related to Arab countries. The results also showed that the media discourse was based on the principles of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, the pursuit of promoting a vision based on building a global Islamic power led by Tehran to confront Western powers and achieve a strategic balance in the Middle East, as well as highlighting Iran’s ambition to assume a pivotal role in the security of the Arabian Gulf, while rejecting the presence of competing international powers within its security framework.
Conclusion: The research concluded that the content of the “Iran in Arabic” website reflects a systematic use of psychological warfare within an ideological and political framework that seeks to influence and shape Arab public opinion in a manner that serves Iranian interests, It also showed that this discourse is not limited to the media sphere but is part of a broader strategy aimed at strengthening Iranian influence in the region and promoting Iran’s leadership role in the Islamic world and in the regional security equation.