Prince Reza Pahlavi to speak at Belgian Royal Military Academy on 6 November

Prince Reza Pahlavi will be a guest at Belgium's Royal Military Academy on Friday, 6 November 2026, where he will speak to the country's army officers and generals about the Middle East, the future of Iran and the region's geopolitical outlook. The host of the visit is Theo Francken, Belgium's Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade.

Prince Reza Pahlavi's media office announced on Saturday, 17 October, that the trip will begin with a meeting attended by the Belgian Chief of Defence and a number of the country's senior military commanders, followed by the Prince's address to Belgian officers and generals.

Theo Francken also announced on X that he would host Prince Reza Pahlavi at the Royal Military Academy, calling the visit an opportunity for the Belgian Defence Ministry's military university to learn more about the geopolitical complexities of the Middle East.

Why the Prince's address matters to Belgian commanders

An official invitation from the defence minister of a NATO and European Union member state to Prince Reza Pahlavi, to speak with that country's highest level of military command, shows that European governments regard him as an interlocutor on Iran's future and regional stability. The visit comes as America's war with the Islamic Republic, unsafe shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Houthis, allies of the Islamic Republic, have made regional security one of Europe's most pressing concerns.

Theo Francken had said before, in December 2025–January 2026, during the January uprising, in a television interview that Prince Reza Pahlavi could play a positive role during the transition in bringing Iran's various currents together towards a democratic and secular Iran, and that Europe's role should be to support Iranians, not to decide in their place.

Prince Reza Pahlavi's record in Europe

The trip follows Prince Reza Pahlavi's prominent presence on the European political stage, including the Friedrich Naumann Foundation's Freedom Prize, which drew broad support from doctors and political prisoners. Meanwhile, the Iran Prosperity Project, backed by the Prince, continues preparing a transition-period programme within a new institution.

Belgium's defence minister has invited Prince Reza Pahlavi to speak on the future of Iran and the Middle East to the country's top army commanders.