Tehran strengthens nuclear terror threat as Arab allies stay silent, leaving Israel confronting expanding Iranian aggression.
A bombshell Financial Times investigation revealed Wednesday that Iranian regime-linked nuclear scientists covertly traveled to Russia late last year to advance research tied directly to nuclear weapons development. The secret November 7–11, 2024 mission was coordinated by a front company for the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND)—the notorious military body at the heart of Tehran’s nuclear weapons program.
According to leaked documents and sources familiar with the meetings, the Iranian delegation held closed-door sessions with Russian military specialists and representatives of Laser Systems, a sanctioned Russian firm that develops cutting-edge dual-use laser technologies—precisely the kind used in nuclear weapons design. This was the second clandestine meeting between the two regimes in 2024.
In a further escalation, in February 2025, Andrei Savin—former technical director at Laser Systems and now a senior academic at Russia’s Baltic State Technical University—traveled to Tehran. He reportedly met with SPND-linked officials and executives from DamavandTec, another SPND front organization. The U.S. sanctioned DamavandTec and its CEO, Ali Kalvand, in October for attempting to procure components explicitly “applicable to the development of nuclear explosive devices.”
High-Level Coordination Between Moscow and Tehran
Nuclear proliferation expert Nicole Grajewski of the Carnegie Endowment told the Financial Times the activities are “strong evidence that Russia was assisting Iran in nuclear weapons-related research,” and stressed the collaboration appeared to be approved “at a high level on both sides.”
A prior FT investigation revealed that in August 2024, Kalvand and four associates traveled to Moscow under diplomatic passports, visiting a Russian facility manufacturing dual-use technologies relevant to nuclear detonation mechanisms.
Among the scientists was Soroush Mohtashami, a neutron generator specialist—an area crucial for triggering nuclear explosions. His presence alone signals Tehran’s intention to acquire the final components necessary for an operational nuclear device.
In correspondence to Russian scientist Oleg Maslennikov, Kalvand openly described the mission’s goals:
- “to discuss and agree on technical and production aspects of electronic device development,” and
- “to consider potential paths for expanding scientific co-operation.”
These euphemisms clearly mask work on technologies integral to nuclear weapons assembly.
A Direct Threat to Israel and Global Security
Iran’s pursuit of nuclear capability is the most dangerous strategic threat facing Israel—especially as Arab nations hostile to Israel remain conspicuously silent while Tehran accelerates toward a nuclear arsenal. Iran’s collaboration with Russia, a major military power, represents a significant escalation that could destabilize the Middle East and embolden Iranian-backed terror groups across the region.
This latest disclosure confirms what Israel has warned the world for years:
Iran is not just racing toward nuclear weapons — it has foreign partners helping it get there.
