Elica Le Bon

Attorney, artist, speaker

Elica Le Bon is a British-Iranian attorney, artist, activist, and public speaker known for her work on human rights. Born and raised in the UK by parents who sought asylum from Iran, she later attended law school and became a criminal defense attorney, before transitioning into a second career in activism. She continues to advocate on behalf of the rights of women, against the many abuses of the Iranian regime, and correcting the Western myths regarding life in the Middle East.

So why did we invite her on?

Since October 7th, the situation in the Middle East has dominated the geopolitical conversation. All eyes are on the major players as the superpowers tense for war. With Iran establishing itself as a defining force in the conflict, we wanted to speak to an expert about their historic role, the threat they pose today, and how various pervasive factors make peace seem so difficult.

What’s the story?

One cannot hope to understand the conflict without some context. Elica weaves her personal history with Iran with its political past, cogently explaining the causes and nature of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, how it affected her family, and why the Iran of today is so different to its predecessor.

But when we look at a map of the region, we see that not only does Iran dwarf Israel but several countries separate them. So why is Iran so hell-bent on Israel’s destruction?

”People don’t think it’s possible to just be evil … ‘I wonder why Hitler did that, I’m sure he was just abused’ … Give up, he was just evil.”

The contention here is not over mere political differences, financial quibbles, or even land. Iran’s quest to destroy Israel comes from the most unassailable authority there is: the word of God. Its demise is not a goal - it’s a prophecy.

”The theory is that the final prophet emerges once equality and justice have been achieved in the world, and the thing that achieves it is that the last blood of Israel falls. The end of Israel brings back the final prophet.”