Prince Reza Pahlavi's Address at the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa, Ukraine

At the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa, Ukraine on May 30, 2026, Prince Reza Pahlavi spoke about the common enemy facing Ukraine, Iran and the free world, and warned that patient engagement with tyrants does not bring peace.

“Patient engagement with tyrants does not produce peace: It produces better-armed tyrants and more exhausted people. Never trust the words of tyrants.”

“What we observe today is not a sign of the regime's resilience. It is a sign that the free world has not yet understood what it is truly fighting.”

“The drones darkening the skies of Ukrainian cities are funded by the same regime that deployed drone surveillance over Tehran's streets to hunt down protesters in the dark.”

Prince Reza Pahlavi wrote about the forum:

I was pleased to be in Odessa for the Black Sea Security Forum to discuss the common enemy that Ukraine, Iran, and the free world face: the axis of chaos.

A sovereign Ukraine and a free Iran will replace chaos with peace for our regions and the world.

My keynote remarks: