Israeli producer of the hit spy series "Tehran" Dana Eden was found dead on Sunday in a hotel room in Athens, during the filming of the fourth season. The case, which is being treated as a suicide by the police, raises many questions on the networks.

Published on: 02/17/2026 - 4:44 p.m.

Israeli producer Dana Eden, who worked on the hit television series "Tehran", was found dead early Sunday, February 15, in her hotel room in central Athens, near Syntagma Square.

According to Greek media, her brother discovered her body and noted bruises on her neck and limbs. Medicines were also found in large quantities in the room. “Everything seems to indicate that it is a suicide,” explained the Greek police, describing the material elements present in the room and the first findings on the body of Dana Eden. A police spokesman said the marks on his neck appeared to be the result of a suicide attempt with a telephone cord.

According to the media Protothema, the 52-year-old producer had already been hospitalized in the past and was taking prescription medication. “An autopsy has already been ordered to determine the exact cause of death, while the police are examining images from security cameras and collecting testimonies from hotel staff,” specifies this Greek newspaper.

Dana Eden arrived in Athens on February 4 for the filming of a new season of the Israeli series broadcast internationally on Apple TV and centered on the fictional character of Tamar Rabinyan, a Mossad agent infiltrated in Tehran to sabotage the Iranian nuclear program. There, the spy played by Israeli actress Niv Sultan befriends young activists opposed to the regime. One of them falls in love with her and helps her in her mission.

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Speculation around Iran

Given the subject of his series, the announcement of his death quickly raised many questions. Some Israeli media reported that Greek police were investigating a possible link to Iran. “Conspiracy theory enthusiasts were quick to spread, on social networks and elsewhere, allegations accusing the Iranian intelligence services of being at the origin of his death,” explains France 24 journalist Imed Bensaied, columnist for Tech24 and specialist in television series.

“They put forward the idea that she managed to hurt Iranian pride by staging successes on the ground, thus tarnishing the image of powerful Iranian institutions and even managing to contact key figures of the regime,” he continues.

For Imed Bensaied, "these theories appeal to fans of the series and fans of dramatic stories, because they correspond to the spirit of this spy series and reinforce its realism. However, these are only speculations, and they are for the moment completely unfounded."

Faced with these conjectures, the company Donna and Shula Productions, which Dana Eden managed with Shula Spiegel, ruled out the hypothesis of a murder. “Rumours suggesting criminal or nationalist motives behind the death [of Dana Eden] are incorrect and unfounded,” she said.

“We call on the media and the public to refrain from publishing and speculating on unverified information, and to act with responsibility and sensitivity,” continues the statement from the company founded in 2007. “This is a moment of deep pain for family, friends and colleagues. We ask that Dana's dignity and the privacy of her loved ones be respected,” it concludes.

Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar also expressed his deep sadness, in a message published on the social network “Dana had a profound impact on Israeli creation and brought our story to the international stage with pride, talent and courage,” wrote Miki Zohar.

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A very realistic series

“Tehran,” which first aired in Israel and on Apple TV in 2020, has become one of the best-selling Israeli productions internationally. The series, which starred Glenn Close in the second season, was described by the New York Times as so convincing in its portrayal of the famous Israeli intelligence service that "even the director of the FBI approved it." For its part, the Iranian regime has repeatedly criticized the series, calling it Zionist propaganda, notes the British daily The Guardian.

“Its success is based above all on its realism, particularly compared to other series,” describes Imed Bensaied. "'Tehran' plunges us from the first minutes into the complex world of espionage, within a country where secrecy reigns. From the outset, we are at the heart of the geopolitical tensions between Iran and Israel. The plot is also innovative because it follows a female Mossad agent, Tamar, and not a male agent," he adds.

“The series also skillfully depicted a mutual infiltration of the intelligence services of the two countries. Recent events in the Twelve Day War have confirmed the existence of infiltration operations which opened the way for Israeli strikes,” analyzes the journalist.

Also read: Iran-Israel: the story of 12 days of open war

“Walk together”

However, filming has been taking place for four seasons in Athens. The choice of the Greek capital as the perfect "double" of Tehran was obvious to Dana Eden during a family vacation, reports the Greek newspaper To Vima. “The topography of Athens strongly reminded him of Tehran, a mythical city for Israelis, but also a forbidden city,” continues the media.

Filming for the final season was delayed after the attacks by Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023 and the bombings on Gaza that followed. “For two years, I have lived to the rhythm of the upheavals linked to the parallel between reality and the series,” Dana Eden recently declared, according to comments transcribed by the Israeli site ynet.

“We write the scripts by constantly asking ourselves whether the events will take precedence over the series or whether it will be the other way around. (...) But in the end, it is a captivating suspense series and we want it to remain so,” she added.

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In 2021, “Tehran” won the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series. "I would like to point out that 'Tehran' is not only a spy series, it also aims to understand the human being behind the enemy," the producer said in her acceptance speech. “That’s what we do every day on set.”

“We discovered that we had a lot in common,” she insisted, referring to actors of various nationalities. “I think this gives hope for the future, and I hope that we can walk together, Iranians and Israelis, in Jerusalem and Tehran, as friends and not as enemies.”

With AFP, Associated Press and Reuters

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