The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks Swedish technology for its nuclear weapons programme, the Swedish Security Police Säpo has claimed in its 88-page 2020 annual report.
According to Säpo, Iran “mainly conducts refugee and industrial espionage against Sweden”, targeting the immigrant community and Swedish industry.
“The primary goal of the Iranian leadership is to ensure the survival of the regime by responding to internal and external threats wherever such are identified, including in Sweden,” the report said, mentioning “planning and preparations” in Sweden to map out critics with a “destabilising” influence and recruit staff.
“Iran also conducts industrial espionage, which is mainly targeted against the Swedish hi-tech industry and Swedish products, which can be used in nuclear weapons programmes. Iran is investing heavy resources in this area and some of the resources are used in Sweden,” the report added.
The report, which named Iran among the greatest threats alongside China and Russia, also cited “recruitment attempts and attempts to influence researchers in Sweden”. This, according to the report, is done to “strengthen the country’s economic and political status and military power.”
Last week, a German intelligence report suggested that Iran didn't help in its drive to obtain weapons of mass destruction in 2020.
The Swedish and German intelligence documents, which suggest that Tehran still pursues its nuclear programme, might encumber US plans to re-join the abandoned 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
The US left the the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as it is formally called, in 2018 after the Trump administration said at the time that the atomic deal did not prevent Iran from developing nuclear arms. The US is currently indirectly negotiating with Iran in Vienna about re-entering the accord. There have been also reports of the Biden administration eyeing a major rollback of Iran sanctions.
Iran is not known to currently possess weapons of mass destruction and has signed treaties repudiating the possession of WMDs including the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Non-Proliferation Treaty. By its own admission, it has never sought nuclear weapons and will not surrender the right of its people to the peaceful use of nuclear energy.