---
born: 1928-10-16
category: Intelligence & Government
died: 2021-11-18
location: Tehran, Iran
summary: Iranian ambassador to the U.S. who served as a key intelligence source for
  Israel, reporting on American Middle East policy to the Shah.
tags:
- Person
- Israel
- Diplomat
---

[Ardeshir Zahedi](/people/ardeshir-zahedi/) was the [Iranian](/places/iran/) ambassador to the [U.S.](/places/united-states/). He served as a vital source of information for [Israeli](/places/israel/) intelligence, reporting directly back to the [Shah's](/people/mohammad-reza-pahlavi/) office in the Royal Court. His reports detailed discussions in [Washington, D.C.](/places/washington-dc/) regarding Middle East policy and [American](/places/united-states/) initiatives with [Anwar Sadat's](/people/anwar-sadat/) [Egypt](/places/egypt/).[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.