Ardeshir Ovanessian (Persian: اردشیر آوانسیان; 1905–1990)[1] was an Iranian communist leader of Armenian origin.

[3] Ovanessian was eventually captured by the police, and would spend eleven years in Qasr prison.

He and other jailed communist leaders organized cultural and educational activities for other inmates.

He was one of two former members of the old Persian Communist Party to be included in the Central Committee (the other being Amir-Khizi).

Police later claimed to have found documents in Tehran, indicating that he was preparing an anti-government conspiracy.