EXPRESS
I posed as a Muslim woman to meet Iran’s evil leaders – what I heard shocked me
Marco Giannangeli
July 14, 2025

Catherine Perez-Shakdam is not easily rattled. The vivacious Jewish granddaughter of a French resistance hero, she played a key role in the recent decision to get Palestine Action proscribed under the UK’s Terrorism Act…Eight years ago, Catherine lived a double life few could fathom. Posing as a devout Muslim, she gained access to the very heart of the Iran’s theocratic regime, meeting with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iran’s most senior religious, political and military hierarchy, including “Butcher of Tehran” President Ebrahim Raisi and, most chillingly, General Qasem Soleimani, head of the IRGC’s Quds regiment before he was assassinated. READ MORE

YOUTUBE THE SPY STORIES Catherine Perez Shakdam: The Woman Who Played Iran’s Regime From interviewing Ebrahim Raisi just before he became Iran’s president, to writing for top Iranian state outlets like Khameneiir and Tehran Times, Perez-Shakdam gained unprecedented access to the Islamic Republic’s power structure. Her later revelations — published in The Times of Israel — shook Iran’s intelligence community and led to speculation that she may have helped facilitate Israel’s highly precise strikes against IRGC officials in 2025