Scientists from Iran's nuclear bomb program visited relevant Russian research structures last year, according to an investigation by the Financial Times.
As the publication writes, based on letters and travel documents, the visit took place in August 2024 and lasted four days. The delegation consisted of five people: 43-year-old nuclear scientist Ali Kalvand and four employees of his consulting company DamavandTec, who arrived on diplomatic passports. They are all closely linked to Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND) — a top-secret research division of Iran's Ministry of Defense, which, according to the US, is engaged in nuclear weapons research.
The mission was planned at least since the beginning of 2024, when Kalvand received a request from Iran's Ministry of Defense to use DamavandTec to organize a secret trip, according to correspondence reviewed by FT.
Later, Kalvand received a letter from Russian scientist Oleg Maslennikov with an invitation to visit the company "Technoexpert," which is based on the territory of the "Polyus" Research Institute, part of "Rostec."
During the visit, the Iranians were interested in dual-use technology used for nuclear bomb testing, and also discussed through an intermediary the purchase in Russia of an isotope that allows for the creation of more powerful nuclear charges.
Documents reviewed by FT indicate that DamavandTec wanted to acquire three radioactive isotopes: tritium, strontium-90, and nickel-63. The export of each is strictly controlled. Tritium increases the power of nuclear warheads and in large quantities is a key component for creating a modern nuclear warhead. As the publication writes, it is unknown whether the company obtained these elements.
The trip took place at a time when Western governments recorded suspicious activity by Iranian scientists, including attempts to purchase nuclear technologies abroad.
For many years, Russia has officially maintained the position that Iran should not have nuclear weapons. However, as a former American official told FT, Moscow might have agreed to a technical exchange that would allow it to "check the box of 'giving something in return'" within the framework of the Moscow-Tehran partnership, which intensified after the start of the war in Ukraine.