Academics in the UK, Australia and the US collaborated on research related to drone technology with an Iranian university that is under international financial sanctions and known for its close ties to the military, the Guardian can reveal.
The collaborative research was described by one security expert as having direct military applications, while another called it potentially “very dangerous”. Iranian-made drones have been responsible for a number of deadly attacks in the Ukraine and Middle East conflicts, and their development is known to be a top priority for the government in Tehran.
The Guardian has seen no evidence that the research contravenes any sanctions or breaks any laws.
The research was published in 2023 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a global platform which hosts peer-reviewed studies. It examined the use of drones – known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – in wireless networks and as communications hubs.
“There are direct implications of the technology presented in this paper for military use,” said Conor Healy, the director of government research at IPVM, a US publication focused on security technology.
They include the ability to establish “new communication channels when an adversary deploys jamming, which is directly relevant to drone warfare in Ukraine”, Healy said.
Robert Czulda, a professor in international and political studies at the University of Łódź in Poland, said the research was potentially “very dangerous.”
“It is not a good idea for any university to engage in these projects,” he said. “Any system relating to communications or repeating signals could easily have military application.”
