Iran’s Public Diplomacy in the Conflict with the United States: A Political Analysis of the Open Letter to U.S. Civilians

Muhtar

doi:10.55927/44wh7y83

Authors

Muhtar Lecturer, Faculty of Social and Political Science, Pattimura University, Ambon, Indonesia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/44wh7y83

Keywords:

Public Diplomacy, Strategic Narratives, Iran–U.S. Conflict, Open Letter, Political Communication

Abstract

This article examines Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s open letter to the American people as an instrument of public diplomacy and strategic narrative during the Iran–United States conflict. Its novelty lies in analyzing an underexplored diplomatic form, namely a head-of-state open letter addressed directly to the civilian public of a rival state. Using a qualitative document-based case study, the study analyzes one purposively selected primary text supported by contextual news reports and recent scholarship, with observations focused on materials published in April 2026. The findings show that the letter constructs Iran’s self-legitimation, delegitimizes U.S. policy, mobilizes historical memory, and separates the American government from the American people, implying that open letters can function as strategic political communication in contemporary geopolitical conflict

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