Ghazal Vaisi is an international affairs analyst specializing in Iran-China relations, authoritarian governance, geopolitical strategy, and the evolution of authoritarianism and its impacts on populations.
Growing up in Iran, she witnessed the suppression of free speech as her parents—both journalists—faced persecution, ultimately forcing the family into exile in 2009. This experience shaped her commitment to exposing how authoritarian systems operate and consolidate power, particularly through technological and economic means.
A former United Nations Correspondent for The Independent (2022–2023), Vaisi's work examines the global consequences of authoritarianism, with particular focus on China's expanding strategic, economic, and technological influence in Iran.
Her research and analysis have 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, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Asia Society Policy Institute, BBC, and Iran International, among other outlets.
Policy Impact & Recognition
Provided expert consultation to policy analysts at the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) in preparation for the 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 witness testimony on economic linkages and sanctions evasion.
Her research was referenced in a CSAG Strategy Paper featured by the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA), a U.S. Department of Defense institution, examining the prospects and complexities of China-Iran relations.
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' 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.