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 posted on X.

"I am grateful to the Crown Prince for his clear assurances of support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said, adding that their teams will "remain in communication".

US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 provoked retaliation from Tehran, which has attacked countries across the Middle East and blocked maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of global oil supplies pass.

Zelensky said it was "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.

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CROWN HOLDINGS