In the intricate landscape of international crises, cultural diplomacy, as a key instrument of soft power, offers unique capacities for de-escalation, rebuilding trust, and enhancing intercultural communication. This research aims to operationally elucidate and empirically assess the role of cultural diplomacy in international crisis management within the digital sphere, focusing on the case study of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The study first develops a hybrid conceptual model (based on soft power, cultural diplomacy, and digital diplomacy) and subsequently analyzes its core mechanisms (narrative construction and trust-building) within the selected case. Data were collected and analyzed using a mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) approach, with a specific focus on the Iranian sanctions case (as the focal case study), through a survey of 78 experts and 15 semi-structured interviews. Qualitative thematic analysis and quantitative assessment reveal that cultural diplomacy operates through narrative redefinition (with a mean impact score of 4.2 out of 5 in the survey), unofficial mediation, and perceptual institution-building, with digital tools acting as strategic enablers. However, challenges such as institutional limitations, technological inequalities, and cultural misperceptions significantly reduce overall efficacy. This study, by presenting a practical conceptual model and crisis-oriented operational indicators, assists policymakers in enhancing countries' soft power capacities in the face of crises and facilitating intercultural dialogue.