SENDAI (Kyodo) An Iranian student who had belonged to an institute suspected of involvement in Tehran's nuclear weapons program studied technology related to reprocessing spent nuclear fuel at Tohoku University graduate school, according to the state-run university.

The student returned to Iran after studying about technology for removing rare metals from highly radioactive liquid waste generated in nuclear fuel reprocessing. But the university denies the possibility that what he learned may lead to making nuclear arms.

"What was taught is not something that could lead to development of weapons of mass destruction," the university said. The Iranian institute, Jaber Ibn Hayan Research Laboratories, was designated by the ministry in March 2004 as an institution that may divert exported goods and technology for development of nuclear arms.