Introduction: The Iranian handwoven carpet industry, as one of Iran’s most prominent cultural and export-oriented industries, has encountered numerous challenges over the past two decades, ultimately resulting in a significant decline in its market share and trade volume and scale. Despite the critical importance of strategic lobbying in enhancing institutional interactions and safeguarding collective industrial interests, no coherent and indigenous model has yet been developed for this domain within the Iranian handwoven carpet industry. Additionally no clear strategy for this important matter is available among the industry practitioners. Accordingly, the present study was conducted with the aim of designing a strategic lobbying model for the Iranian handwoven carpet industry and an attempt is made to identify the political and institutional challenges facing this industry and to explain mechanisms to strengthen effective interaction with domestic and international institutions. Therefore, this study seeks to determine what the strategic lobbying model is for the Iranian carpet industry and what dimensions and components is this model based on?
In this regard, two general research questions are raised:
* What are the main themes and sub-themes in the strategic lobbying model in the Iranian handmade carpet industry, based on qualitative data with an interpretive phenomenological approach?
* Are the indicators extracted from the qualitative analysis based on the interpretive phenomenological approach, confirmed and validated through expert consensus based on the Delphi technique?
Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with experts and key actors in the handwoven carpet industry and were analyzed using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach. Subsequently, in the quantitative phase, the main themes and sub-themes extracted from the previous stage were validated through a three-round Delphi technique based on the degree of expert consensus, as well as assessments of reliability and validity.
Finding: The strategic lobbying model for the Iranian handwoven carpet industry is founded upon five principal themes: synergy among specialized handwoven carpet associations; strategic interaction with policy-making institutions and carpet-related governing bodies; commercial diplomacy and the development of global carpet markets; utilization of structural support mechanisms and specialized consultancy services; and integration of the value chain alongside the strengthening of bargaining power. Each of these themes include some sub-themes as follows:
· Synergy of specialized organizations of handmade carpets (including sub-themes of coordination between unions and associations, establishing strong internal networks and strengthening coordination among industry actors),
· Strategic interaction with policy-making institutions and carpet trustees (including sub-themes of direct relations with decision-makers, flexibility in response to changes in laws and providing reliable evidence and information),
· Trade diplomacy and developing global carpet markets (including sub-themes of recognizing target markets and competitors, participating in exhibitions and interacting with foreign customers and developing brand and international reputation)
· Taking advantage of structural support and expert advice (including sub-themes of taking advantage of expert advice. Taking advantage of policies and support from government institutions and coordination between consultants and industry actors),
· Integrating the value chain and strengthening bargaining power (including sub-themes of establishing internal connections between producers and exporters, increasing bargaining power through coordination of networks and sharing information and resources).

Conclusions: As shown above, the final model developed in this study provides a structured representation of the key factors underlying strategic lobbying aimed at export development in the Iranian handwoven carpet industry. Such a model can serve as an appropriate foundation for designing strategic lobbying frameworks in line with the export development of Iran’s carpet industry and can facilitate the enhancement of this industry’s competitiveness in international markets.