According to two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter, Russia has supplied Iran with information that could assist Tehran in targeting American warships, aircraft, and other assets in the region.
These officials, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the topic and their lack of authorization to comment publicly, cautioned that U.S. intelligence has not revealed Russia is directing Iran on how to utilize this information, even as Iran launches retaliatory strikes against American assets and allies in the Persian Gulf.
Nevertheless, this marks the initial indication that Moscow has sought to become involved in the conflict initiated by the U.S. and Israel against Iran a week prior. Russia belongs to a select group of nations that maintain amicable ties with Tehran, a country that has endured years of isolation due to its nuclear program and its backing of proxy organizations like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, which have caused widespread instability in the Middle East.
On Friday evening, Trump criticized a reporter for raising the issue when he opened the floor for media questions at the conclusion of a White House meeting.
Trump addressed Peter Doocy, the News reporter, stating, “I have a lot of respect for you, you’ve always been very nice to me.” He then remarked, “What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. We’re talking about something else.”
White House officials minimized the significance of these reports, yet did not refute that Russia was exchanging intelligence with Iran concerning U.S. targets in the area. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters on Friday that “it clearly is not making any difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them.”
During a CBS “60 Minutes” interview on Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the U.S. is “tracking everything” and incorporating it into its battle strategies, when questioned about allegations of Russian assistance to Iran.
He affirmed, “The American people can rest assured their commander in chief is well aware of who’s talking to whom. And anything that shouldn’t be happening, whether it’s in public or back-channeled, is being confronted and confronted strongly.”
Leavitt declined to state whether Trump had communicated with Russian officials regarding the reported intelligence sharing or if he believed Russia should face repercussions, indicating she would let the president address that matter personally.
When questioned about whether Russia would extend beyond political backing to provide military aid to Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that Tehran had made no such request.
He stated on Friday, “We are in dialogue with the Iranian side, with representatives of the Iranian leadership, and will certainly continue this dialogue.”
When pressed on whether Moscow has supplied any military or intelligence support to Tehran since the commencement of the Iran war, he chose not to comment.
Russia has solidified its relationship with Iran as it sought much-needed missiles and drones for use in its operations.
The Biden administration declassified intelligence indicating that Iran provides Moscow with attack drones and has aided the Kremlin in establishing a drone manufacturing facility.
The former U.S. administration also accused Iran of various actions.
The Washington Post was the first to report details concerning the U.S. intelligence.
When asked if this revelation had undermined Trump’s confidence in Putin’s capacity to broker a peace agreement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Leavitt responded, “I think the president would say that peace is still an achievable objective with respect to the Russia-Ukraine war.”
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian President indicates that the United States and its allies in the Middle East are engaged. Tehran has been supplying Russia with Shahed drones for its war against Ukraine, and these are now being deployed in retaliatory attacks across the Gulf.
Zelenskyy mentioned that he has engaged in discussions with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait regarding potential collaboration.
Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, stated, “Ukraine knows how to defend against Shahed drone attacks because our cities have faced them almost every night. When our partners are in need, we are always ready to help.”
Trump, who has found it challenging to deliver on a campaign promise to conclude the Russia-Ukraine war, has experienced an inconsistent relationship with Zelenskyy. He has often urged the Ukrainian leader to comply with Russian demands, such as Kyiv ceding Ukrainian territory still under its control.
As the Pentagon faces inquiries regarding whether the Iran conflict is diminishing U.S. stockpiles, Trump complained this week that former President Joe Biden supplied billions in advanced weaponry to Ukraine without replenishing U.S. reserves.