US intelligence indicates that Russia provided Iran with information that could help target American forces in the region, though officials say there is no evidence Moscow is directing Tehran’s military actions.
As the war between the US, Israel and Iran rages for a week, Russia has shared information with Tehran that could help it identify and target American warships, aircraft and other military assets in the region, the Associated Press reported, citing two officials familiar with US intelligence. However, the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was no evidence so far that Moscow is directing Tehran on how to use the information.
But, the disclosure marks the first indication that Russia may be offering operational support to Iran as the fighting across the Middle East intensifies.
The latest developments come after the US and Israel launched a large-scale military campaign against Iran on February 28, an offensive that resulted in the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting US assets and allied positions in the Persian Gulf.
When asked about the report during a White House event, US President Donald Trump dismissed the question.
“What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. We’re talking about something else,” Trump told Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy.
The White House also downplayed the significance of the reported intelligence sharing. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the alleged move had not affected the US military campaign.
“It clearly is not making any difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them,” she told reporters.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington was closely monitoring developments.
“The American people can rest assured their commander in chief is well aware of who’s talking to who,” Hegseth said in an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes. “Anything that shouldn’t be happening, whether it’s in public or back-channeled, is being confronted and confronted strongly.”
Leavitt declined to confirm whether Trump had raised the issue directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the president would address that question himself.
In Moscow, the Kremlin neither confirmed nor denied providing military or intelligence assistance to Iran. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia remains in contact with Iranian leaders.
“We are in dialogue with the Iranian side, with representatives of the Iranian leadership, and will certainly continue this dialogue,” Peskov said. When asked directly whether Russia had shared military or intelligence support since the war began, he declined to comment.
Russia and Iran have strengthened their ties in recent years, particularly since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine. US intelligence has previously assessed that Iran supplied Russia with Shahed attack drones and helped establish a drone manufacturing facility inside Russia.
American officials have also accused Tehran of providing short-range ballistic missiles to Moscow for use in the Ukraine war.
Amid the escalating conflict, Ukraine has begun offering its expertise in countering Iranian drones to US partners in the Middle East. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Washington and several regional governments had sought Kyiv’s assistance in defending against Shahed drones, which are now being used in attacks across the Gulf.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishyna, said Kyiv’s experience could prove valuable.
“Ukraine knows how to defend against Shahed drone attacks because our cities have faced them almost every night,” she said. “When our partners are in need, we are always ready to help.”
The developments come as the expanding US-Israel-Iran conflict fuels concerns about regional instability and the possibility of further involvement by major global powers.
With inputs from Associated Press
