Iran must not cooperate with Russia, Zelensky tells shah’s son

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tells the son of Iran’s last shah that Ukraine wants “a free Iran that will not cooperate with Russia” as the pair meet in Paris.

Reza Pahlavi lives in exile in the United States and has offered himself as a transitional leader for Iran should the Islamic Republic fall.

“Ukraine truly wants to see a free Iran that will not cooperate with Russia or destabilize the Middle East, Europe, and the world,” Zelensky posts on X.

“I am grateful to the crown prince for his clear assurances of support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he says, adding that their teams will “remain in communication”.

Zelensky says it is “crucial that the Iranian regime gains nothing” from the conflict and that the Iranian people have the right to “determine their own fate.”

Throughout its four-year invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been using Iranian-designed Shahed drones as well as producing thousands more under the name Geran-2.

Kyiv is worried that the war in the Middle East is drawing international attention away from the conflict in Ukraine — particularly from its urgent need for anti-aircraft missiles, which are used in large numbers in the Gulf to counter Iranian missiles and drones.