A rally in support of protests in the country was held near the Iranian embassy in Kyiv – Rezazade (Photo, Video)

​On Sunday, January 18, a rally in solidarity with Iranians who have been taking part in mass anti-government protests against the Islamic Republic since late December was held near the Iranian embassy in Kyiv. Dozens of people took part in the event, most of whom are ethnic Iranians currently living in Ukraine.

The rally began with a minute of silence in memory of the deceased protesters in Iran and the Ukrainian military who gave their lives defending Ukraine from Russian aggression. The participants brought Iranian flags and portraits of Reza Pahlavi, the crown prince from the Shah dynasty overthrown as a result of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It is around Pahlavi, as a symbol of a secular and democratic alternative to the regime, that the Iranian opposition is currently uniting.

The rally included slogans such as “Death to the Islamic Republic” and “Long live the King,” which have become recognizable symbols of the protest movement in Iran itself.

Among the participants in the rally was Ali Reza Rezazade, an international expert and the first vice president of the Iranian opposition in Washington. It was he who opened the rally and became the first speaker of the protest action. He was born in the Iranian city of Shiraz and lived in the country for half of his life. However, due to the influence of pro-Russian forces and the repressive policies of the regime, he was forced to leave Iran, move to Ukraine, and later obtain Ukrainian citizenship.

“Today, for the second time in my life, I am facing Russian aggression. First, indirectly in Iran, where Moscow has supported a repressive regime for years. Now, directly in Ukraine, which Russia is destroying with open war,” Rezazade noted.

He emphasized that cooperation between the Kremlin and the Iranian authorities has direct consequences for the security of Ukrainians. “Russia is transferring technology and resources to Iran, and Iran, in turn, is supplying Russia with Shahed strike drones, which are used to attack Ukrainian cities and citizens. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is directly involved in the deaths of Ukrainians,” he stressed.

According to Rezazade, the current protests in Iran and the war in Ukraine are parts of a single global confrontation. “This is not just a fight for regime change in Iran or for the territorial integrity of Ukraine. This is a fight against authoritarian alliances that build their power on fear, violence, and the export of war,” the expert said.

The participants in the action emphasized that the international community has no right to ignore the events in Iran, just as it cannot turn a blind eye to the Russian-Iranian military alliance. According to them, solidarity between peoples who have suffered from repressive regimes is becoming a key factor in global security.