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U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday played down reports that Russia is supplying Iran with intelligence to target U.S. military personnel and installations in the Middle East, suggesting any such assistance has had little impact on the ongoing week-long war.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Miami, Trump described the alleged intelligence-sharing as inconsequential, noting that Iran’s recent military setbacks demonstrated its limited utility.
“If you take a look at what’s happened to Iran in the last week, if they’re getting information, it’s not helping them much,” Reuters reported Trump saying.
When pressed on how Russia’s support might affect U.S.-Russia relations, he responded, “They’d say we do it against them. Wouldn’t they say that we do it against them?”
The remarks came a day after Trump attended the dignified transfer of six U.S. Army reservists killed in a drone strike in Kuwait, an attack that followed the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which has sent shockwaves through global energy markets.
Trump’s comments followed the U.S. Treasury Department’s announcement granting India a temporary exemption to continue purchasing Russian crude oil and petroleum products until April 4.
The move, designed to mitigate soaring oil prices, drew bipartisan criticism, with Republican Rep. Don Bacon and Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu describing it as dangerously accommodating to Moscow while Iran threatens U.S. forces.
“Reverse your decision to lift oil sanctions on Russia. It is traitorous conduct for you to help Russia,” Lieu wrote, adding, “Meanwhile, Russia is assisting Iran in targeting American troops.”
The temporary exemption was granted after India agreed to reduce its reliance on discounted Russian crude, following tariff cuts announced by the Trump administration in recent weeks.
Despite global efforts to isolate Moscow after its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, India has continued to take advantage of lower oil prices, contributing to complex geopolitical and economic dynamics.
The ongoing Iran war has caused severe disruption to oil shipments, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 million barrels of oil pass daily.
The conflict has driven global energy prices sharply higher and interrupted supplies from major producers in the Middle East.
Asked whether he would take additional measures to relieve oil price pressures, Trump said, “If there were some, I would do it, just to take a little of the pressure off.
“He also downplayed the need to tap the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, noting the nation holds “a lot of oil” — more than 415 million barrels as of the end of February, up from roughly 395 million barrels a year earlier.
“We’ve got a lot of oil. Our country has a tremendous amount,” Trump said. “There’s a lot of oil out there. That’ll get healed very quickly.”
The president’s remarks underscore his approach of minimising the strategic significance of Russia’s potential assistance to Iran, while signalling cautious steps to stabilise energy markets amid an intensifying Middle East conflict. - March 8, 2026