Lecturers

Dror Balazada

Dror Balazada is Channel 14's correspondent for Iran and Middle East affairs and a graduate of the Israeli Intelligence Corps. He is the creator of the acclaimed documentaries "Jasus: The Spy from Tehran" and "Sultan Erdogan". A fluent Persian speaker, Balazada maintains direct and ongoing contact with deep sources inside Iran. These dangerous connections allow him to bring rare materials, authentic testimonies and exclusive footage from the heart of the most closed country in the Middle East. His intelligence background, combined with his covert journalistic work against enemy states, gives him a unique ability to analyze reality. His deep familiarity with the field allows him to combine strategic insights with fascinating human stories from the world of espionage and the media.

Topics

Inspiration & Enrichment
Iran
Personal Story

Languages

English
Hebrew

Lectures:

The Spy's Diary

In this fascinating lecture, Dror Balazada reveals what the war between Israel and Iran looks like through the eyes of the average Tehran resident. He shares a gripping and extraordinary personal story of courageous journalistic work against enemy states, at times at real risk to his life. During the lecture, Balazada addresses the biggest question facing the Iranian people today, what the future holds for them amid the economic and security reality. Together with the audience, he examines whether Iran's citizens are truly capable of toppling the regime in light of the current war. He also analyzes what really remains of the country after 37 years of rigid and extreme Islamist rule. This is a rare look behind the scenes of one of the most closed and intriguing countries in the Middle East.

Iran
Inspiration & Enrichment
Personal Story

The Tentacles of the Iranian Octopus

How did Iran go from an isolated, ostracized state to the most influential and threatening regional power in the Middle East? In a sharp and up-to-date lecture, Dror Balazada takes the audience behind the scenes of the Iranian empire and lays out the map of the "octopus's tentacles", the network of proxy organizations Tehran has patiently woven from Lebanon to Yemen and from Gaza to Iraq. Balazada, Channel 14's correspondent for Iran and Middle East affairs and a graduate of the Intelligence Corps, breaks down the Iranian strategy step by step, how it was built, how it operates, and where the fault line runs over which the world powers are struggling at this very moment. Through precise intelligence analysis, behind-the-scenes stories and insights that never make the headlines, he reveals how a new Middle East is taking shape before our eyes, and what it all means for the security of the State of Israel. This is a fascinating and thought-provoking lecture that gives audiences the tools to correctly read the most heated and influential arena in the world.