MUNICH -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last shah of Iran -- an extremely rare meeting at such a level for the former crown prince who is one of many figures vying for prominence among the fractured Iranian opposition in exile.
The meeting took place on February 13 during the Munich Security Conference, where Zelenskyy will deliver a major speech and is holding a series of meetings with foreign leaders.
Pahlavi is not reported to have any similar meetings in Munich planned.
'It's From The Heart'
Video shot by Ukrainian public TV showed the two men shaking hands in a wood-paneled room and then sitting at a table. Pahlavi thanked Zelenskyy for voicing support for Iranian protesters during his speech at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“Sometimes [it is] very important to give strong support in time, when it's important, not after,” Zelenskyy said. “It’s from the heart.”
Security forces killed thousands of people during mass protests in Iran in January, according to reports, prompting strong condemnation from Washington and its allies.
This includes Zelenskyy, who in January declared that “every decent person on this planet sincerely wishes that the people of Iran would finally be freed from the current regime, which has brought so much evil to Ukraine and other countries."
Zelenskyy was clearly referring to Iran’s support for Russia’s war effort, notably through the supply of Shahed attack drones that have caused widespread death and destruction in attacks on civilian targets across Ukraine.
But while the United States has supported Iranian protesters, it has not endorsed Pahlavi or any other leaders in exile -- although Pahlavi has repeatedly called for intervention in Iran by US President Donald Trump.
For Pahlavi, the meeting with Zelenskyy may be a way to try to boost his chances of gaining wider international recognition. Over the last three years, he has met lawmakers from some Western European countries.
In January, Trump said Pahlavi "seems very nice." But the US leader also expressed uncertainty over whether Pahlavi would be able to muster support within Iran to eventually take over.
Shortly before Pahlavi met with Zelenskyy, there was a small but vocal demonstration outside the conference center by a rival opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which denounced both the current Iranian authorities and the idea of monarchist rule.
Speaking to Zelenskyy, Pahlavi said the situation in Iran was similar to that faced by Ukraine -- which has been fighting a full-scale Russian invasion since February 2022.
“We have pretty much the same predicament,” he said, “fighting for independence and sovereignty.”
US Strike Force
US naval forces remain poised within striking distance of Iran in one of the biggest US military buildups in the region in years. Trump has voiced support and encouragement for Iranian protesters and signaled that US forces might intervene to protect them.
However, talks between US and Iranian negotiators appear to be more focused on other issues, such as Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, and its network of proxy forces in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.
The Iran talks and the prospect of US military action is a major topic of discussion here at the Munich conference.
“I don't have much hope for diplomacy to the extent that it ends up curtailing Iran's nuclear program while continuing to give them access to some level of enrichment,” US Senator Chris Murphy (Democrat) told RFE/RL.
“Why did he throw out the agreement that did exactly that?” he asked, referring to a nuclear deal agreed upon during the Obama administration that Trump withdrew from during his first term of office.
Later, during a panel discussion, US Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican) said the dispute is not just about the nuclear program, missiles, or proxies.
“President Trump gave an answer, [saying to Iranians] keep protesting, help is on the way. And a couple of days later, he said, it's time for new leadership in Iran because the ayatollah and his crowd, they're bad guys, they're terrible guys. You put all three of those statements together then what do you have? You have a president standing with the people,” he said.
“I am confident that President Trump will get an outcome consistent with those three statements through diplomacy or military force,” Graham added.
