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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Jonathan Yerushalmy and Johana Bhuiyan

Academics in US, UK and Australia collaborated on drone research with Iranian university close to regime

Iranian-made drones at a ceremony in Tehran in January.
Iranian-made drones at a ceremony in Tehran in January. Academics in the UK, Australia and the US have collaborated on research related to Iranian drone technology. Photograph: Iranian Army Office/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock

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.

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