Russia has provided Iran with intelligence that could assist Tehran in targeting American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with US intelligence assessments.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the sensitive matter publicly, said the intelligence suggests Moscow shared information that could help Iran identify US targets. However, they cautioned that US intelligence has not found evidence that Russia is directing Iran on how to use the information as hostilities escalate.
The revelation marks the first indication that Moscow may be attempting to involve itself in the war launched a week ago by the United States and Israel against Iran, amid continuing bombardments and retaliatory strikes by Tehran against American assets and allies in the Persian Gulf.
Russia is among the few countries that maintains close relations with Iran, which has long faced international isolation over its nuclear programme and its backing of regional proxy groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.
The reports prompted sharp reactions from the White House on Friday. During a meeting with reporters following a White House event focused on the impact of paying student-athletes in college sports, President Donald Trump criticised a question about the intelligence sharing.
“I have a lot of respect for you, you’ve always been very nice to me,” Trump told Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy. “What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. We’re talking about something else.”
Despite the president’s response, administration officials did not deny that Russia may have shared intelligence with Iran.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sought to downplay the significance of the reports, telling reporters that the alleged intelligence sharing 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,” Leavitt said.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also addressed the issue in an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, saying the Pentagon was monitoring the situation closely.
“The American people can rest assured their commander in chief is well aware of who’s talking to who,” Hegseth said. “And anything that shouldn’t be happening, whether it’s in public or back-channeled, is being confronted and confronted strongly.”
Leavitt declined to say whether Trump had discussed the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin or whether the administration believed Russia should face consequences for the reported intelligence sharing.
“I’ll let the president speak to that himself,” she said.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Iran had not requested military assistance from Russia.
“We are in dialogue with the Iranian side, with representatives of the Iranian leadership, and will certainly continue this dialogue,” Peskov said on Friday.
Pressed on whether Russia had provided Iran with any military or intelligence support since the war began, Peskov declined to comment.
Russia and Iran have strengthened ties in recent years, particularly since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has relied on Iranian weapons systems during the conflict.
The Biden administration previously declassified intelligence indicating that Iran had supplied Russia with attack drones and helped the Kremlin establish a drone-manufacturing facility. U.S. officials also accused Tehran of transferring short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine war.
Asked whether the development had affected Trump’s confidence in Putin’s willingness to negotiate peace in Ukraine, Leavitt said the administration still believed diplomacy was possible.
“I think the president would say that peace is still an achievable objective with respect to the Russia-Ukraine war,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States and several Middle Eastern partners are seeking Ukraine’s expertise in countering Iranian-made Shahed drones.
Tehran has supplied the drones to Russia for use in Ukraine and has also deployed them in retaliatory attacks across the Gulf during the ongoing conflict.
Zelenskyy said he had discussed potential cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.
“Ukraine knows how to defend against Shahed drone attacks because our cities have faced them almost every night,” said Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna. “When our partners are in need, we are always ready to help.”
Trump, who has struggled to fulfil a campaign pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, has maintained a complex relationship with Zelenskyy. The U.S. president has repeatedly urged the Ukrainian leader to consider Russian demands, including concessions involving Ukrainian territory still under Kyiv’s control.
The developments also come as the Pentagon faces questions about whether the expanding conflict with Iran could strain U.S. weapons stockpiles. Trump recently criticised former President Joe Biden for providing billions of dollars in advanced weaponry to Ukraine while, he said, failing to replenish American reserves.
Boluwatife Enome
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