The United Against Nuclear Iran organization (UANI) disclosed a study in which researchers from universities in Britain, Australia, and the United States collaborated with Sharif University on drone technology. The Guardian also investigated the dimensions of this research collaboration in a report.
The research, published in 2023 on the platform of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), involved the participation of the University of Southampton in Britain, the University of New South Wales in Australia, University of Houston in the United States, and Sharif University in Iran.
Financial backing for this research came from research councils associated with the European Union, as well as the governments of Britain and Australia.
A security expert told The Guardian that the research had direct military applications, and another security expert described its nature as highly dangerous.
Referring to the direct connection between the researched technology and military applications, one security expert mentioned that this technology enables the creation of a new communication channel if enemy forces disrupt signals.
He stated that this capability is directly relevant to current drone warfare in the war in Ukraine.
Another security expert told The Guardian that given the “very dangerous” nature of this research, no university should participate in such projects.
Sharif University is under financial sanctions from Britain and the European Union.
According to a report by the Washington Institute in May and April 2022, Sharif University’s support has played a role in advancing Iran’s drone program.
Daniel Roth, the research director of the UANI, stated that the Iranian regime strategically uses knowledge from domestic and foreign universities to strengthen its security priorities.
In June 2023, according to findings from the Jewish Chronicle, British universities collaborated with the regime on the development of technologies for drones and fighter jets. At least 11 universities in Britain, including the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, participated in these studies.
In the summer of 2023, the British government initiated an investigation into allegations that some of its universities collaborated with their Iranian counterparts on drone research.
In January 2024, the Canadian government released a list of universities in Iran, China, and Russia directly or indirectly associated with military and security entities of these countries. According to Canada’s announcement, researchers collaborating with these universities will not receive government funding.
The list includes Sharif University, Pasteur Institute of Iran, University of Tehran, Aerospace Research Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Institute for Defense Studies and Research, Imam Hussein University, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Explosion Research Center, Physics Research Center, and the Air Force University Star in Iran.
In the past five years, the use of Iranian-made drones has intensified in various military engagements worldwide, including Ukraine, Iraq, and Syria, as well as the Red Sea.
On January 28, in a drone attack by Iran-affiliated paramilitary forces on the U.S. forces base in Jordan, three American soldiers were killed, and more than 40 were injured.
