President Volodymyr Zelensky told Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, that Ukraine wants “a free and democratic Iran” that will not cooperate with Russia, according to a statement published by the Ukrainian president’s office after their meeting in Paris on Friday.
Second meeting in about a month
It was the second known meeting between Zelensky and Pahlavi in roughly a month, after the two also met during the Munich Security Conference in mid-February. Pahlavi, who lives in the US, has long sought to position himself as a credible alternative leader for Iran, though his support inside the country and across the diaspora remains contested.
Ukraine backs the Iranian people
In a post on X after the meeting, Zelensky said Pahlavi and his team described losses within Iran’s leadership, particularly within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other security structures.
In the statement, Zelensky said Ukraine supports the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom and condemned attacks launched from Iran against countries in the Middle East and the Gulf region.
He also said a free Iran that does not work with Russia would strengthen security not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe and the broader Middle East.
Iran-Russia ties in focus
The meeting in Paris underscored Kyiv’s concern over Iran’s military alignment with Russia and its impact on the broader region.
Throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has used Iranian-designed Shahed drones and produced thousands more domestically under the name Geran-2.
After years of defending itself against Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Russia, Ukraine has gained major experience in stopping drone attacks.
Kyiv is now looking to use that experience to help partners in the Middle East and the US counter similar threats, including with low-cost interceptor drones developed during the war.
How relations Deteriorated
Ukraine-Iran ties have unraveled in recent years amid a series of major flashpoints.
The first major rupture came on Jan. 8, 2020, when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 shortly after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board. Iran denied responsibility for three days before admitting the strike was a mistake made during a period of heightened military alert. Ukraine later criticized Tehran’s handling of the investigation, helping drive years of legal and diplomatic fallout.
Ties worsened further after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Iran began supplying Moscow with Shahed drones later used in strikes across Ukraine. In response, Kyiv downgraded diplomatic relations, stripped the Iranian ambassador of accreditation, reduced Iranian diplomatic staff, and later imposed sweeping trade and sanctions measures targeting Iran-linked entities.
The confrontation has intensified further in 2026. Ukraine has moved to treat the Iranian regime not just as a hostile partner of Russia, but as a direct enabler of Moscow’s war effort.
Zelensky’s meetings with Pahlavi in Munich and Paris underscore Kyiv’s growing interest in engaging openly with figures from Iran’s political opposition.