Tehran (TV series)
Israeli espionage thriller television series
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Tehran (Hebrew: טהרן) is an Israeli spy thriller television series created by Moshe Zonder for the Israeli public channel Kan 11. Written by Zonder and Omri Shenhar and directed by Daniel Syrkin, the series premiered in Israel on 22 June 2020 and on 25 September internationally on Apple TV. Featuring dialogue in Hebrew, Persian, and English, the series follows an Israeli Mossad agent of Iranian Jewish descent on her first mission in Iran's capital Tehran, which is also her birth place.
- Moshe Zonder
- Dana Eden
- Maor Kohn
- Niv Sultan
- Shaun Toub
- Menashe Noy
- Liraz Charhi
- Shervin Alenabi
- Navid Negahban
- Shila Ommi
- Darius Homayoun
- Glenn Close
- Sasson Gabai
- Phoenix Raei
- Hugh Laurie
| Tehran | |
|---|---|
Season 1 international poster. The Azadi Tower fills the background. | |
| Genre | |
| Created by |
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| Directed by | Daniel Syrkin |
| Starring |
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| Composer | Mark Eliyahu |
| Country of origin | Israel |
| Original languages |
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| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Cinematography | Giora Bejach |
| Running time | 36–51 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Kan 11 |
| Release | 22 June 2020 – present |
The second season, starring Glenn Close, was released on 6 May 2022. The third season, with Hugh Laurie joining the cast, was released on 9 December 2024 on Kan 11, and on Apple TV on 9 January 2026. The series has also been renewed for a fourth season.
At the 49th International Emmy Awards held in November 2021, Tehran received the award for best drama series, becoming the first Israeli series to win this award.
Plot
Season 1 (2020)
Tamar Rabinyan, an Israeli Mossad hacker born in Iran, goes undercover in Tehran to disable local air defenses, allowing the Israeli Air Force to safely bomb a nuclear facility. Disguised as an electric company employee named Zhila, she infiltrates the station network to cut power to the radar. However, her mission fails when she kills her boss in a struggle during an attempted sexual assault. Forced into hiding, Tamar reconnects with her roots, visiting her aunt and befriending local dissident activists. Meanwhile, she is relentlessly hunted by Faraz Kamali, the head of investigations for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards security forces.[1][2][3]
Season 2 (2022)
Before fleeing to Canada, Tamar stays in Tehran to rescue a captured Israeli pilot. After her aunt is executed, she targets Revolutionary Guard head Qasem Mohammadi by befriending his son, Peyman. Meanwhile, Mossad agent Marjan Montazami infiltrates Faraz Kamali's life by treating his wife. Despite failed poisoning attempts and a car sabotage that kills Peyman instead, Tamar defies Mossad orders. After Marjan is killed, Tamar successfully assassinates Mohammadi using an explosive phone. However, Mossad destroys her escape vehicle, killing her partner Milad Kahani. Tamar is left alone, trapped in Iran, and betrayed by the agency she served.
Season 3 (2024–25)
_season_3;_featuring_British_actor_Hugh_Laurie_(right)_and_Israeli_actress_Niv_Sultan_(left).jpg)
Hunted by both the IRGC and Mossad, Tamar discovers Iran is smuggling nuclear parts through Ramin Ghasemi. She bargains with Mossad, partnering with agent Nissan Yousefzadeh to intercept nuclear inspector Eric Peterson. Meanwhile, Faraz strikes a deal with Mossad to secure his wife Nahid's asylum, though he later chooses duty over family. Peterson, revealed as a triple agent, sabotages a nuclear test to expose the program. When the plan risks a city-wide explosion, Tamar, Ramin, and Faraz intervene. They successfully remove the nuclear core, causing a conventional blast that kills Peterson and Faraz. Tamar and Ramin escape with the core.[4]
Cast
Main
- Niv Sultan as Tamar Rabinyan, a young Jewish woman born in Iran but raised in Israel, a Mossad agent and computer hacker
- Shaun Toub as Faraz Kamali (seasons 1–3), the head of investigations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
- Menashe Noy as Meir Gorev (season 1), the head of Mossad
- Liraz Charhi as Yael Kadosh (season 1), a senior Mossad agent and Tamar's handler
- Shervin Alenabi as Milad Kahani (seasons 1–2), an Iranian hacker and Tamar's boyfriend
- Navid Negahban as Masoud Tabrizi (season 1),[a] an Iranian Mossad agent who supervises Tamar
- Shila Ommi as Nahid Kamali (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1), Faraz's wife[5]
- Darius Homayoun as Peyman Mohammadi (season 2), the son of Qasem and Fatemeh Mohammadi
- Glenn Close as Marjan Montazami (season 2), a British psychotherapist who works as a Mossad agent in Tehran
- Sasson Gabai as Nissan Yousefzadeh / The Owl (season 3), a veteran Mossad agent who is sent to kill Tamar
- Phoenix Raei as Ramin Ghasemi (season 3–present), a powerful smuggler who befriends Tamar[5]
- Hugh Laurie as Dr. Eric Peterson (season 3), a South African nuclear inspector[6]
Recurring
- Arash Marandi as Ali Aghazadeh (seasons 1–2)
- Vassilis Koukalani as Sardar Qasem Mohammadi (seasons 1–2)
- Viss Elliot as Mrs. Sultani (season 1)
- Danny Sher as Mike (season 1)
- Esti Yerushalmi as Arezoo Raisi (season 1; guest season 2)
- Nethanel Toobian as Daryoosh Nekoomard (season 1; guest season 2)
- Alex Naki as Mordechai Rabinyan (season 1)
- Moe Bar-El as Karim (season 1)
- Sogand Fakheri as Razieh Nekoomard (season 1; guest season 2)
- Reza Diako as Shahin (season 1; guest season 2)
- Dan Mor as Eran (season 1)
- Tomer Machloof as Nevo (season 1)
- Tamir Ginsburg as Tamir
- Qais Khan as Mohammed Balochi (season 1)
- Sara von Schwarze as Yulia Magen (season 2–present)
- Sia Alipour as Vahid Nemati (season 2)
- Nofar Boker as Nofar (season 2–present)
- Bahador Foladi as Amir (season 2; guest season 3)
- Abbas Fasaei as Hossein (season 2)
- Elnaaz Norouzi as Yasaman Haddadi (season 2)
- Alain Ali Washnevsky as Ayatollah Larijani (season 3)
- Ray Haratian as Behrouz Janati (season 3)
- Bahar Pars as Shirin (season 3)[5]
- Anthony Azizi as Jaafar Musavi (season 3)
- Fariba Sheikhan as Shaparak Nouri (season 3)
- Kimonas Kouris as Nico (season 3)
- Kiana Madani as Tina (season 3)
- Christos Papadopoulos as Marcus (season 3)
- Kavé Niku as Issa (season 3)
- Luke F. Dejahang as Jahan (season 3)
Episodes
Season 1 (2020)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Emergency Landing in Tehran" | Daniel Syrkin | Moshe Zonder & Omri Shenhar | 22 June 2020 |
| 2 | 2 | "Blood on Her Hands" | Daniel Syrkin | Moshe Zonder & Omri Shenhar | 22 June 2020 |
| 3 | 3 | "Yasamin's Girl" | Daniel Syrkin | Moshe Zonder & Omri Shenhar | 29 June 2020 |
| 4 | 4 | "Shakira and Sickboy" | Daniel Syrkin | Moshe Zonder & Omri Shenhar | 29 June 2020 |
| 5 | 5 | "The Other Iran" | Daniel Syrkin | Moshe Zonder & Omri Shenhar | 6 July 2020 |
| 6 | 6 | "The Engineer" | Daniel Syrkin | Moshe Zonder & Omri Shenhar | 13 July 2020 |
| 7 | 7 | "Tamar's Father" | Daniel Syrkin | Moshe Zonder & Omri Shenhar | 20 July 2020 |
| 8 | 8 | "Five Hours Until the Bombing Run" | Daniel Syrkin | Moshe Zonder & Omri Shenhar | 27 July 2020 |
Season 2 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by [b] | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | "13,000" | Daniel Syrkin | Asaf Beiser & Daniel Syrkin | 6 May 2022 |
| 10 | 2 | "Change of Plan" | Daniel Syrkin | Natalie Marcus & Daniel Syrkin | 6 May 2022 |
| 11 | 3 | "PTSD" | Daniel Syrkin | Natalie Marcus & Daniel Syrkin | 13 May 2022 |
| 12 | 4 | "The Rich Kids" | Daniel Syrkin | Asaf Beiser & Daniel Syrkin | 20 May 2022 |
| 13 | 5 | "Double Fault" | Daniel Syrkin | Natalie Marcus & Marc Grey & Daniel Syrkin | 27 May 2022 |
| 14 | 6 | "Faraz's Choice" | Daniel Syrkin | Asaf Beiser & Lee Gilat & Daniel Syrkin | 3 June 2022 |
| 15 | 7 | "Betty" | Daniel Syrkin | Roy Iddan & Lee Gilat & Daniel Syrkin | 10 June 2022 |
| 16 | 8 | "Blood Funeral" | Daniel Syrkin | Lee Gilat & Roy Iddan & Daniel Syrkin | 17 June 2022 |
Season 3 (2024–25)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | "Fightback" | Daniel Syrkin | Tony Saint | 9 December 2024 |
| 18 | 2 | "Friend or Foe" | Daniel Syrkin | Simon Allen | 16 December 2024 |
| 19 | 3 | "The Lion's Den" | Daniel Syrkin | Lee Gilat & Tony Saint | 23 December 2024 |
| 20 | 4 | "Into the Fire" | Daniel Syrkin | Tony Saint | 30 December 2024 |
| 21 | 5 | "Unfinished Business" | Daniel Syrkin | Tony Saint | 6 January 2025 |
| 22 | 6 | "Man of Business" | Daniel Syrkin | Simon Allen | 20 January 2025 |
| 23 | 7 | "Duress Test" | Daniel Syrkin | Simon Allen | 27 January 2025 |
| 24 | 8 | "Day Zero" | Daniel Syrkin | Tony Saint | 27 January 2025 |
Production
Development
The series was created by Moshe Zonder for the Israeli public channel Kan 11.[1] It was co-written by Zonder and Omri Shenhar, and directed by Daniel Syrkin.[7] Production began on 28 October 2019.[8] Some of the actors playing Iranians were born in Iran, and speak the language as their mother tongue. Niv Sultan, who plays Tamar, studied Persian for four months. In addition, she studied Krav Maga, an Israeli self-defence system. The series was shot entirely on location in Athens.[9]
On 10 September 2020, it was announced that co-creator Moshe Zonder had signed a multi-year "first look" deal to create projects for Apple TV+.[10] In December 2020, executive producer Julien Leroux said that production had begun on a second season though it had not been officially approved.[11] On 26 January 2021, Apple TV+ confirmed that the series had been renewed for the second season.[12][13][14][15] On 22 June 2021, it was announced that Glenn Close would be joining the cast.[16][17] Filming for the second season began in August 2021.[18]
On 8 February 2023, Apple TV+ announced that Tehran had been renewed for a third season, with Hugh Laurie set to join the ensemble cast.[6] The show's producers and Kan 11 reached an interim agreement to allow production of the third season to continue during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[19] The third season, produced by both Apple TV+ and Kan 11, wrapped shooting in Greece in the summer of 2023 and was supposed to premiere around April 2024, but the release was delayed due to the Gaza war and the ensuing Iran–Israel conflict.[5][20] Kan announced in April 2024 that they would attempt to persuade Apple to reconsider and approve an alternative release date.[21] In November 2024, after Kan received the green light from co-producers Apple, the season premiere was announced for 9 December 2024 on Kan.[21][20]
In November 2023, producers were asked to rewrite parts of the fourth season due to real-life events from the Gaza war resembling scenes in the series, leading to a delay in the filming and production schedules.[21][22] In a 2025 interview, director Daniel Syrkin reiterated that major parts of the fourth season were rewritten due to similarities with the Twelve-Day War, leading to postponed scouting dates. He also stated that the outcome of the war would affect the season's content.[23][24] In February 2026, producer Dana Eden was found dead in an Athens hotel room during filming of the fourth season.[25]
Release
The series premiered on Kan 11 in Israel on 22 June 2020,[3] In July 2019, Cineflix acquired exclusive global distribution rights for the series.[26] On 16 June 2020, Apple TV+ bought international rights to the series outside of Israel,[27][28] including serving as the exclusive streaming home to the series worldwide.[29] The series was popular with audiences in India, Japan, and Singapore.[11] In September 2020, it was announced that Moshe Zonder, the series co-creator, had signed a first-look deal with Apple.[10] In October 2020, Niv Sultan signed with WME.[30]
The second season was released on 6 May 2022, with the first two episodes released that day and later episodes on a weekly basis.[31][31]
The third season premiered on 9 December 2024 on Kan 11, with a single subsequent episode airing weekly, with the exception of episode 6 "Man of Business". The last two episodes of the season aired back to back on Kan 11 on 27 January 2025, while having still remained unannounced for Apple TV. In December 2025, Apple announced that the series would premiere on their service on 9 January 2026 with one episode, followed by new episodes every Friday through 27 February.[32]
Reception
| Season | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 94% (18 reviews)[33] | 72 (12 reviews)[34] |
| 2 | 83% (6 reviews)[35] | N/a |
| 3 | 100% (7 reviews)[36] | N/a |
The first season of Tehran has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a rating of 94% based on 18 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Tehran's expertly plotted twists further elevate a geopolitical thriller deftly balanced between the global and the personal."[33] On Metacritic, the show has a score of 72 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[34]
The second season has a 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 6 reviews.[35] Writing in The Guardian, Rebecca Nicholson gave the second season four out of five, praising Close's performance and describing the series as "a solid thriller, often breathlessly exciting, [that] has cracked the code of relentless tension".[37]
The third season has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 7 reviews.[36]
Notes
- Credited as special guest star.
- Moshe Zonder & Omri Shenhar are credited as the head writers for the season.
