Iranian nuclear specialists secretly held a second meeting this year with researchers from a sanctioned Russian weapons institute, according to U.S. intelligence assessments shared with European allies. Washington believes the talks are part of Tehran’s effort to obtain sensitive military technologies from Moscow as both countries deepen their strategic alignment.

Iranian nuclear specialists secretly held a second meeting this year with researchers from a sanctioned Russian weapons institute, according to U.S. intelligence assessments shared with European allies. Washington believes the talks are part of Tehran’s effort to obtain sensitive military technologies from Moscow as both countries deepen their strategic alignment.

The Financial Times reports that senior Iranian officials from atomic energy and defense sectors met with scientists from Russia’s VNIIA institute, a research hub linked to Moscow’s weapons programs. U.S. officials say the exchanges appear to involve dual-use scientific cooperation that could have military implications, although the exact technologies discussed remain undisclosed.

The alleged meeting comes as Iran and Russia strengthen defense ties across multiple fronts. Tehran has supplied Moscow with drones and military equipment used in Ukraine, while Russia has offered advanced air defense support, satellite capabilities and training. Western governments warn that this evolving axis risks eroding long-standing global non-proliferation safeguards.

U.S. intelligence maintains that while there is no public indication Iran is currently expanding a nuclear weapons program, cooperation with a Russian military research institute raises clear concerns. Dual-use technology transfer could shorten timelines or expand technical expertise in ways difficult to monitor under existing agreements.

Iran insists its scientific collaborations are peaceful and says it does not seek nuclear weapons. Moscow has dismissed Western intelligence findings as politically motivated. But European governments privately view the secret meetings as part of a broader pattern of opaque Iran-Russia cooperation that later manifests in advanced military support.

Officials in Washington and European capitals are now reviewing whether new sanctions or monitoring measures may be needed if the cooperation continues. Diplomats note that Russia’s deepening isolation from the West has made Moscow more willing to engage in restricted or sensitive technological exchanges with sanctioned states.

The development lands at a volatile moment. Iran continues enriching uranium at levels significantly beyond the thresholds set by the 2015 nuclear agreement, and diplomatic efforts to restore or renegotiate constraints have stalled. Any further tightening of Iran-Russia nuclear-military cooperation risks complicating attempts to reestablish transparency or oversight mechanisms.