One of the most prominent guest stars on Homeland in season 3 has just received a promotion to series regular status ahead of season 4.

Mandy Patinkin Reveals Potential Brody Return?

Nazanin Boniadi, who played CIA analyst Fara Sherazi in season 3, has been promoted to series regular for season 4, according to an official Showtime report Friday. Fara was a key asset in providing help for Carrie's (Claire Danes) mission in season 3, with the character having relatives in Tehran.

In season 4, Fara will have a "key role" in working for Carrie at the CIA, according to Showtime.

Homeland Returning For October Start Date?

Homeland showrunner Alex Gansa previously told TVLine that he and his fellow producers were considering the idea of sending Carrie to Istanbul with her own team, which includes Fara.

"One of the ideas that we're really toying around with next year is [to have] Carrie go and do what she was trained to do, and that is be a case officer in a foreign country," Gansa teased in December. "And as she mentioned to Sen. Lockhart [Tracy Letts], she gets to choose her own people. So Quinn [Rupert Friend], Fara [Nazanin Boniadi] . . . Virgil [David Marciano] and possibly Max [Maury Sterling] may come along with her. We get to bring some of our familiar faces overseas."

Little else has been revealed about Homeland season 4, though one thing for certain is that there will be less Brody family drama than the previous three seasons. With Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) gone, there is less importance on his family's issues going forward, so Morena Baccarin (who plays Jessica Brody) and Morgan Saylor (Dana Brody) have been demoted to guest star status.

Homeland season 4 premieres in fall 2014 on Showtime, though the network has not yet scheduled a start date.