Digital Diplomacy Strategies of the Iranian and Israeli Ministries of Foreign Affairs on the X Platform

This study examines how the Iranian and Israeli Ministries of Foreign Affairs employed digital diplomacy on the X platform during two conflict periods: Iran’s missile strikes against Israel (October–November 2024) and Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes (June 2025). Through a qualitative comparative design and content analysis of 487 posts, it explores how both actors used enticement and attack as dual strategies of narrative construction and foreign policy communication. Findings reveal distinct yet adaptive trajectories. Iran’s discourse evolved from ideological resistance toward legalistic sovereignty, invoking international law, cultural legitimacy, and religious identity to justify state actions. Israel’s communication shifted from delegitimizing Iran to humanitarian storytelling, employing visual symbolism, moral justification, and multilingual engagement to shape global perception. The analysis demonstrates that enticement and attack operate as complementary dimensions of strategic digital diplomacy, rather than opposing ones. Both states leveraged securitized, visually oriented, and adaptive communication to compete for legitimacy and influence. The study contributes to scholarship on digital diplomacy in conflict contexts by illustrating how Middle Eastern governments weaponized real-time digital narratives to construct legitimacy and manage international image.