The IAEA supported Iranian researchers in the field of nuclear energy and sent them to study in Russia, according to Bild.
It is noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced last week that Iran had expanded its nuclear program.
At the same time, the agency writes that it was the IAEA that for years supported Iranian researchers and sent them to study in Russia. In addition, it even provided financial support in this area.
Background
In 2018, the Americans withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran and tightened the sanctions regime against Tehran. As a result, the deal fell apart, Iran stopped following the rules and limited external control.
According to confidential documents, the IAEA subsequently launched programs to fund Iranian nuclear science.
At the end of 2019, the IAEA formulated the goal of the IRA2018001 project in consultation with the Iranians and explained that the activities would be aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of scientists and improving hardware and software infrastructure, which would improve the operation and use of research reactors.
Training of researchers in Russia
The journalists also reported that the IAEA funded numerous training programs for scientists from Tehran in Russia. The point is that the selected experts sometimes stayed for weeks on the territory of Russia under umbrella of the Russian Rosatom.
Bild writes that the available data confirms the suspicions of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as he claimed the existence of an alliance between Russia and Iran. According to him, Tehran received "support for Iran's nuclear program" from Moscow in exchange for the supply of drones.
At the same time, the IAEA representative confirmed the fact of training in Russia.
Iran's nuclear program
Iran's nuclear program includes several research facilities, two uranium mines, a research reactor, and uranium processing facilities, which include three known uranium enrichment plants.
Iran continues to be accused of developing nuclear weapons. At the end of May, Reuters reported that Iran was close to enriching uranium to the level necessary to create a nuclear weapon.