Last year, Iranian scientists and nuclear experts made their second secret visit to Russia. According to the U.S., the trip aimed to obtain secret technologies that could be used for nuclear weapons.
Source: Bukvy
The visit took place as part of an exchange between Russian military research institutes and the Iranian Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), which is linked to Iran’s armed forces and oversees nuclear weapons research.
Meetings between Iranian and Russian experts are the first confirmation of Moscow’s intentions to cooperate with Tehran in areas of knowledge potentially related to nuclear weapons. According to experts, Iranian specialists sought laser technologies and expertise that could help test nuclear weapon designs without conducting actual detonations.
Iran insists that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi noted that there is no conclusive evidence of attempts to create nuclear weapons, although uranium enrichment to 60% is a concerning signal.
Previously, Israel expressed concern over the development of detonators for an atomic bomb, which led to bombings of Iranian facilities in June last year.
FT documents indicate that in November 2024, Iranian specialists visited Saint Petersburg for meetings with the company “Laser Systems,” which develops lasers for civilian and military use and is under U.S. sanctions.
Despite this, after strikes by the U.S. and Israel, Iran halted all uranium enrichment activities. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei confirmed that Iran does not seek to create nuclear weapons and rejected direct negotiations with the U.S.
AP notes that Khamenei’s statement came amid growing international tension over Iran’s nuclear program and the potential reinstatement of UN sanctions.
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