Tehran (Hebrew: טהרן) is an Israeli spy thriller television series created by Moshe Zonder for the Israeli public channel Kan 11.[1] Written by Zonder and Omri Shenhar and directed by Daniel Syrkin,[2] the series premiered in Israel on June 22, 2020[3] and September 25 internationally on Apple TV+.
Featuring dialogue in Hebrew, Persian and English, the series follows an Iranian-JewishMossad agent on her first mission in Iran's capital Tehran, which is also the place of her birth.
On January 26, 2021, it was announced that the series had been renewed by Apple TV+ for a second season.[4][5][6] On June 22, 2021, it was announced that Glenn Close had joined the cast.[7][8] The second season was released on May 6, 2022.[9] On February 8, 2023, it was announced that the series had been renewed by Apple TV+ for a third season, with Hugh Laurie joining the cast.[10]
Protagonist Tamar Rabinyan, a young Jewish woman born in Iran but raised in Israel, is a Mossad agent and computer hacker on an undercover mission in the Iranian capital to disable a nuclear reactor.[1] Her objective is neutralizing Iranian air defenses so that the Israeli Air Force can bomb a nuclear plant and prevent Iran from obtaining an atomic bomb.[11] When she arrives in Iran, she switches identities with Zhila Gorbanifar, a Muslim employee of the local electric company. In Zhila's place she enters the electric company station and connects to the computer network. Then she tries to cut electric power to the Iranian radar system, in order to facilitate an ongoing Israeli Air Force attack. Her mission fails because her boss, who thinks she is Zhila, tries to rape her and is killed in a fight that ensues. After escaping, Tamar has to go into hiding. Being born in Iran and having moved to Israel when she was six, Tamar now discovers her local roots, goes to see her aunt, and befriends Iranian pro-democracy activists.[3] Meanwhile, she is hunted by Faraz Kamali, head of investigations of the Revolutionary Guards.
Season 2
Hebrew poster of season 2; featuring Israeli actress Niv Sultan (left) and American actress Glenn Close (right)
Prior to being smuggled out of Iran to start a new life in Canada, Tamar accepts a mission to rescue one of the Israeli pilots captured after the failed reactor mission. At the hospital where the pilot is being held, she encounters Marjan Montazami, a British psychotherapist and local agent for Mossad, who aids in her escape. Tamar's aunt is executed for assisting her, and a devastated Tamar agrees to stay in Tehran with Milad to undertake a new mission: the assassination of Qasem Mohammadi, who has been promoted to head of the Revolutionary Guards. Tamar works to gain access to Mohammadi by getting close to his son, Peyman. Faraz Kamali continues his relentless pursuit of Tamar, but finds himself compromised as Marjan begins working as a psychotherapist for his wife following her abduction and release by Mossad. In spite of Faraz's reluctant assistance, Tamar's attempt to poison Mohammadi fails, as does an attempt to kill him with a booby-trapped phone. Mossad Director Yulia Magen calls off the mission, but Tamar and Milad try to take control of Mohammadi's sports car as he races against his son, which only results in Peyman's death. Marjan is poisoned by Nahid, Faraz's wife. Tamar manages to kill Mohammadi with the explosive mobile phone. Milad is killed by a car bomb planted by Mossad in the escape car, leaving Tamar alone and trapped in Iran with no-one to trust.
Production began on October 28, 2019.[13] 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.[14] Filming for Season 2 began in August 2021.[15]
International distribution
Originally the series aired on Kan 11 in Israel and is available for streaming on the Kan 11 website in Hebrew. In July 2019, Cineflix acquired exclusive global distribution rights for the series.[16] On June 16, 2020, Apple TV+ bought international rights to the series outside of Israel,[17][18] and will serve as the exclusive streaming home to the series worldwide.[19]
The show's distributors claim that the series was popular with audiences in India, Japan and Singapore.[20]
In September 2020, it was announced that Moshe Zonder, the series co-creator, had inked a first-look deal with Apple.[21] In October 2020, Niv Sultan signed with WME.[22]
Season 2
Rumors about a possible second season of Tehran began on September 10, 2020, when it was announced that co-creator Moshe Zonder signed a multi-year "first look" deal to create projects for Apple TV+.[23]
In December 2020, executive producer Julien Leroux said that production had begun on a second season though it had not been officially approved.[20] Almost two months later, on January 26, 2021, Apple TV+ confirmed that the series had been renewed for the second season.[24]
Season 2 was released on May 6, 2022, as per confirmed reports with the first two episodes released that day and later episodes on a weekly basis.[25]
Season 3
On February 28, 2023, Apple TV+ announced that Tehran had been renewed for Season 3 and is currently in production. Hugh Laurie is set to join the ensemble cast.[26]
The show's producers reached an interim agreement to allow production of the third season to continue during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[27]
Reception
Tehran has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, season one holds a rating of 94% based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Tehran's expertly plotted twists further elevate a geopolitical thriller deftly balanced between the global and the personal."[28] On Metacritic, the show has a score of 72 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[29]
