Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on the location of U.S. forces, sources say
WASHINGTON — Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on the location of U.S. forces in the Middle East, giving Tehran a boost as it launches missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases and other targets in the region, according to four sources familiar with the matter.
Russian intelligence assistance could help Iran locate U.S. warships, radars or other communications systems, but there is no indication that Moscow is helping direct Iranian missile or drone strikes, the sources said.
Iran began firing missiles and drones at U.S. bases and other American targets after the United States and Israel launched an air war against the regime last Saturday.
Russia’s decision to provide Iran with its satellite data and other intelligence underscores the war’s growing geopolitical fallout and could pose potential risks to U.S. ships, planes and bases in the region.
The Washington Post was the first to report Russia’s aid.
Asked about Russian intelligence assistance to Iran, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the Iranian regime was being crushed.
“Their ballistic missile retaliation is diminishing every day, their navy is being wiped out, their production capacity is being demolished and their proxies are barely putting up a fight,” she said, adding that the US operation in the Middle East was meeting or exceeding its goals.
Publicly available footage of Iranian strikes in recent days has shown US military radars, satellite dishes and communications infrastructure attacked at US bases in the Persian Gulf.
In an interview with NBC News’ Tom Llamas on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his government was receiving political and other aid from Russia and China, but declined to provide further details.
“They support us politically and otherwise,” Araghchi said.
The long-standing military cooperation between Iran and Russia “is not a secret,” he said.
When asked whether Iran was receiving military assistance from Russia or China, he replied: “Well, I’m not going to give the details of our cooperation with other countries in the middle of the war. »
President Donald Trump has often said he has an excellent relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has asserted that Moscow would not have launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine if he had been in the White House at the time.
At a Pentagon news conference earlier this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked about Russia and China’s calls for an immediate ceasefire and whether the United States had a message for Moscow or Beijing.
“I don’t have a message for them. They don’t really play a role here,” he said.
