Khamenei shifts focus to soft power amid Israeli pressure on Hezbollah

Amid heightened Israeli pressure on Hezbollah, Iran’s key proxy in the region, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei adopted a notably measured tone in his Saturday speech, emphasizing the importance of soft power.

Gone was the usual fiery rhetoric or direct threats; instead, Khamenei highlighted the importance of cultural influence, diplomacy, and ideological strength, signaling a more subtle shift in Iran's regional strategy amid ongoing tensions. Despite this measured approach, he still condemned Israel, accusing it of committing "shameless crimes."

The violence in Lebanon has escalated quickly, beginning with explosions on Tuesday and continuing into Wednesday. The attacks, which involved detonating pagers and walkie-talkies, are widely believed to have been orchestrated by Israel. The blasts killed scores of Hezbollah members and injured more than 3,000. On Friday, Hezbollah confirmed that senior commanders Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wahbi were killed in an air strike on a residential building in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs, which left 31 dead, including around 20 top commanders.

During his speech at the 38th Islamic Unity Conference, where the theme of unity was front and center, Supreme Leader Khamenei struck a tone of quiet frustration. He reiterated his long-standing vision: "With the formation of an Islamic Ummah, Muslims can, through their internal strength, remove the malignant cancer of the Zionist regime from Palestine and eliminate the oppressive influence, domination, and interference of the United States in the region." Yet, in the same breath, Khamenei acknowledged the challenge, admitting that "governments don't have the motivation" for unity, signaling his growing frustration with his lack of influence on many Arab governments.

"Islamic countries should completely sever their economic ties with this criminal gang. This is the least they can do, and it must be done," Khamenei said.

His remark underscored not only frustration but also Iran's growing isolation in the region. Despite repeated calls for cooperation from both Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, their appeals seem to be falling on deaf ears, reverberating in a region where Iran's influence is increasingly sidelined by the very leaders it hopes to rally.

“Politicians, scholars, academics, scientists, influential thinkers, poets, writers, political and social analysts – these are the groups that can have an impact,” Khamenei said, emphasizing soft power.

“Now, imagine if for ten years, all the media outlets in the Muslim world consistently focused on the unity of Muslims, with articles being written, poets composing poems, analysts providing insights, professors explaining, and religious scholars issuing rulings. Without a doubt, over the course of those ten years, the situation would change drastically,” he added. “Once the nations awaken, governments will be forced to act accordingly.”

This isn’t the first time Khamenei has dialed down the rhetoric in recent months. Recently, he spoke of a "tactical retreat" as Iran continues to hold off on the revenge once promised by IRGC leaders after the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last July. Even in a speech on August 25, Khamenei shifted the tone, remarking, that the battle against the camp of the enemies (Israel and the US), doesn’t always have to be fought with guns. "One can also fight them with poetry and verse." It seems, for now, the weapons of choice may be words rather than warfare.

With the country grappling with a mounting financial and economic crisis, Tehran’s restrained approach persists, even as Israeli pressure ramps up. Instead of saber-rattling, Iran appears to be banking on patience while contemplating a breakthrough to reduce US sanctions, while not relinquishing its anti-Israeli foreign policy in the region.