Dana Eden, a producer and co-creator of the show Tehran, was found dead in an Athens hotel room on Monday, Israeli media confirmed.
Eden, 52 years old, was in Greece along with her production company for the filming of the fourth season of the hit television series. The production company stated that the rumors of nationalist or criminal involvement in Eden’s death are unfounded.
Greek news outlets, such as Ta Nea, Documento, and Proto Tema, did report that she was found dead in an Athens hotel room where she had been staying since February 4, that her brother discovered the body, that bruises were found on her neck and limbs, and that pills were found in the room.
All these sources said that authorities were investigating the possibility of suicide.
The Israeli embassy in Athens confirmed it is in contact with Eden’s family to assist with handling the event.
SHLUA SPIEGEL, Dana Eden and Niv Sultan attend Champagne Collet & OBC Wines’ celebration of The 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on January 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Champagne Collet & OBC Wines)
Eden began her career in television when she produced the pilot episode of the show Chalomot Ne’urim, which aired in 1998. Since then, she has become one of Israel’s most prestigious women producers, working on shows such as Saving the Wildlife, She Has It, Magpie, and Shakshouka.
‘Tehran’ production company reacts to Eden’s death
In 2007, Eden partnered with producer Shula Spiegel to found Donna and Shula Productions, through which Tehran and many of Eden’s other works are produced.
“We are shocked and saddened by the untimely passing of our beloved friend and partner, Dana Eden,” Donna and Shula Productions told Walla. “Dana, a gifted and internationally renowned creator, has been active in the industry for over thirty years, and over the past eighteen years at the production company Dana and Shula Productions has won multiple awards, including an Emmy Award for producing the international series Tehran.”
KAN, a primary Israeli broadcast network that worked with Eden, released a statement on her death, saying that “We are saddened by the passing of our friend and partner in a long line of productions, series, and programs. Dana was among the senior figures in the Israeli television industry and was a central figure in the creation and leadership of some of the most prominent and influential productions in the corporation.”
The television series about a Mossad agent played by Niv Sultan, who is trying to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, won an International Emmy in 2021 for Best Drama series, and is available in Israel on KAN 11 and abroad on Apple TV+.
Its three seasons have been extremely popular on Apple, where the recently released third season, starring Hugh Laurie as a nuclear regulatory investigator, was in its top 10. While the third season was released in Israel in late 2024, it did not start streaming on Apple TV+ until a few weeks ago, and was reportedly delayed due to the Israel-Hamas war.
The series stars many well-known Iranian actors who now live abroad, including Shaun Toub and Navid Negahban. Since filming in Iran was never in the cards, the producers settled on Athens as the best substitute for Tehran from its first season. KAN released the series on its website with Farsi subtitles, so Iranians could watch it.
The Iranian government-linked press criticized the series as Zionist propaganda and was also angered by its depiction of unsanctioned sexual activity among its elite.
The series attracted its first international star, Glenn Close, in its second season, where she played a psychologist who is secretly working to bring down the government.
Eden was interviewed by Ynet following the war between Iran and Israel in June 2025, after she traveled during the war by boat from Israel to Cyprus with her son, actor Gur Eden, who was filming a series, The Saints, for Martin Scorsese in Italy. Gur Eden reportedly plays Jesus in the series.
“For the past two years, I’ve been living in this overlap between reality and the show. We keep asking ourselves whether the events will outpace the series or vice versa. In the end, it’s a suspense thriller, and we want to keep it that way,” she told Ynet.
“I have to admit – we’ve been pretty accurate. Season three is extremely relevant and touches on exactly what’s happening now in the war: centrifuges, efforts to stop Iran from reaching the bomb, nuclear inspectors, and Iran’s deception. Thomas Friedman from The New York Times recommends watching Tehran to understand the Mossad’s work. Even the former FBI director endorsed it.”
Just last week, Eden was active on social media, posting positive reviews for Tehran on Facebook, as well as on-set photos from the filming of the fourth season.
