Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research

Not to be confused with Self Powered Neutron Detector (SPND).

The Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research or S.P.N.D. (Persian: سازمان پژوهش‌های نوین دفاعی, transliterated Sazman-e Pazhouheshhaye Novin-e Defa’i and abbreviated سازمان سپند) is a research and development agency of Iran's Ministry of Defence responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military.^[1][2][3] According to Iranian media, it is the Iranian counterpart of the American DARPA.^[2]

History

According to the US, it was established in 2011.^[4] The organization was reportedly established and led by Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, until his assassination outside Tehran on November 26, 2020.^[2][5][6]

According to the Israeli officials, later backed up by American intelligence officials, it was tasked with the research and development of nuclear weapons,^[7] and took over some of the activities of the Iranian nuclear weapon development AMAD Project.^[4] It has been sanctioned by the United States Department of State and United States Department of the Treasury.^[8][9]

According to Al Jazeera, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, it developed Iran's first COVID-19 testing kits^[2] and also FAKHRAVAC, a COVID-19 vaccine that reached clinical trials.^[10]