According to a Financial Times report, Iranian nuclear scientists made a covert visit to Russian institutes in August 2024 that develop dual-use technologies — systems that could serve both civilian and military purposes.
The delegation reportedly toured facilities working on electron accelerators and high-powered X-ray systems. Leading the group was Ali Kalvand, a senior Iranian figure linked to the SPND — the organization that Western intelligence believes continues Iran’s covert military nuclear program, officially halted in 2004.
The Iranian team traveled on diplomatic passports and posed as civilian consultants from a front company called DamavandTec, allegedly tied to Iran’s Defense Ministry.
One of the delegates even requested tritium — a radioactive substance used to enhance nuclear weapons — though Western sources believe no radioactive materials were actually transferred. Officials in the West view the visit as an attempt to preserve Iran’s military nuclear knowledge while evading sanctions and international oversight.