Behnam Ben Taleblu

Behnam Ben Taleblu

Behnam Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow at Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) where he focuses on Iranian security and political issues. Behnam previously served as a research fellow and senior Iran analyst at FDD. Prior to his time at FDD, Behnam worked on non-proliferation issues at an arms control think tank in Washington. Leveraging his subject-matter expertise and native Farsi skills, Behnam has closely tracked a wide range of Iran-related topics including nuclear non-proliferation, ballistic missiles, sanctions, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the foreign and security policy of the Islamic Republic, and internal Iranian politics. Frequently called upon to brief journalists, congressional staff, and other Washington audiences, Behnam has also testified before the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament.

His analyses have been quoted in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Fox News, The Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse, among others. Additionally, he has contributed to or co-authored articles for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Fox News, The Hill, War on the Rocks, The National Interest, and U.S. News & World Report. Behnam has appeared on a variety of broadcast programs, including BBC News, Fox News, CBS Interactive, C-SPAN, and Defense News. Behnam earned his MA in International Relations from The University of Chicago, and his BA in International Affairs and Middle East Studies from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.

Webinars from this speaker

Today

  • Iran Steps Up Its Proxy War Against Israel and the U.S.

    https://youtu.be/tB047rry64g     Iran has been at war with Israel and the U.S. for decades but October 7th began a multifront escalation that appears to be a turning point in its willingness to fund, train, and weaponize regional terrorism at an alarming rate and level. Iranian-backed terrorists across the region - Hamas and Palestinian Islamic […]

  • Emergency Briefing on Iran’s Attack on Israel

    https://youtu.be/dH6jSPftNtk <p data-pm-slice="1 1 About the Speaker: Behnam Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow at Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) where he focuses on Iranian security and political issues. Behnam previously served as a research fellow and senior Iran analyst at FDD. Prior to his time at FDD, Behnam worked on non-proliferation issues at an arms […]

  • Behnam Ben Taleblu on the Elections in Iran

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jXh5v9kliQ READ TRANSCRIPT HERE On Friday, the people of Iran went to the polls and elected the “moderate reformer” candidate Masoud Pezeshkian, defeating Ayatollah Khamenei’s favored candidate, Saeed Jalili, in a race to replace former President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19th.  The election saw a surge in turnout, with […]

  • Deterring Iran’s Dash to the Bomb

    https://youtu.be/5h4hJjachog?si=rWJerVoka0cAG7cL     Transcript will be available here While America is preoccupied with electoral politics and Israel is bogged down in war with Iranian terrorist proxies, it appears as if the Islamic Republic may be making a mad dash to complete its quest for nuclear weapons. Some intelligence officials believe that Iran is expediting its […]

  • Behnam Ben Taleblu on the Iranian Nuclear Program and Its Return to a Policy of “Murder for Hire”

    https://youtu.be/KANNabi_gkI?si=VztxMJ1Y1kXNrL2p   The transcript will be available here Since the October 25th Israeli attack on an Iranian nuclear research facility in Parchin, how significant is the damage done to the Islamic Republic’s ability to strike out against Israel?  Does the Islamic Republic want to engage with the state of Israel and perhaps her allies in […]

  • Behnam Ben Taleblu Looking at Iran from the Outside In

    https://youtu.be/iP38IO9qj2Q?si=4ne3syanPeWiCyxa   The transcript will be available here.    Come watch as The Director of FDD’s Iran program Behnam Ben Taleblu gives us a fresh perspective on the recent developments in Iran since Israel has embarked on “Operation Rising Lion.” About Our Speaker: Behnam Ben Taleblu is senior director of FDD’s Iran Program, where he […]

  • Behnam Ben Taleblu and What is Next on the Iranian Front

    https://youtu.be/ylSn6sgyQe8?si=7S_qYcRmjNOSs86k   The Transcript will be available here   On September 27th, 2025, France, Germany and Great Britain levied the “snapback sanctions” against Iran. Last August, European negotiators had told the United Nations Security Council that Iran had violated “the near entirety of JCPOA commitments.” The Iranian economy has been severely impacted by these renewed […]