Ghazal Vaisi is an Iranian-born international affairs analyst specializing in Iran-China relations, authoritarian governance, and geopolitical strategy.
Growing up in Iran, she witnessed firsthand the suppression of free speech as her parents—both journalists—faced persecution, ultimately forcing them into exile in 2009. This experience shaped her commitment to advocating for democratic principles and exposing authoritarian tactics, particularly in Iran.
A former United Nations Correspondent for The Independent (2022–2023), Vaisi’s work examines the global impact of authoritarianism, with a focus on China’s expanding influence in Iran.
Her research and analysis has been recognized by leading think tanks, policymakers, congressional bodies, and academic institutions. Her work has been published in English, Persian, Arabic, and Bulgarian.
Her contributions have appeared in the Middle East Institute, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Asia Society Policy Institute, BBC, and Iran International among others.
Notably, her analysis of the Iran-China 25-Year Cooperation Program, published by the Middle East Institute, was cited in the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ 2023 report, Strategy for a New Comprehensive U.S. Policy on Iran, which informed the U.S. Department of the Treasury about the misuse of Chinese technology in Iran to target dissidents.
Additionally, her research was referenced in a 2024 CSAG Strategy Paper featured by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) institution: the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA).
In 2025, Vaisi provided expert consultation to policy analysts at the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) in preparation for the congressional hearing, An Axis of Autocracy: China’s Relations with Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Her insights contributed to the commission’s research on China’s strategic relationship with Iran and its broader partnerships with authoritarian states. Her work was also cited in a witness testimony prepared for the USCC hearing on the topic of Economic Linkages and Sanctions Evasion.