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RUSSIA has reportedly provided Iran with intelligence that could assist Tehran in targeting United States military assets in the region, according to American officials familiar with classified assessments, signalling a potentially significant geopolitical complication as fighting escalates in the Persian Gulf.
AP, on Saturday, cited two officials, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, saying the intelligence shared by Moscow could help Iranian forces identify American warships, aircraft and other strategic assets.
However, they stressed that US intelligence agencies have not found evidence that Russia is directing Iran on how to use the information as hostilities continue between Iran and forces aligned with the United States and Israel.
The revelation marks the first indication that Russia may be playing a more active role in the conflict that erupted after military operations launched by the United States and Israel against Iran roughly a week ago.
Russia remains one of the few major powers maintaining close diplomatic relations with Tehran, which has long faced international isolation over its nuclear programme and its support for armed groups in the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthi movement.
At the White House, US President Donald Trump reacted sharply when asked about the reports during a press conference.
Addressing Fox News journalist Peter Doocy, Trump said, "I have a lot of respect for you, you’ve always been very nice to me. What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. We’re talking about something else."
White House officials later sought to play down the significance of the intelligence sharing reports, though they did not directly deny them.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that any such development had not affected American military operations.
"It clearly is not making any difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them," she said.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon was monitoring the situation closely and incorporating all intelligence developments into its operational planning.
"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.
"And anything that shouldn’t be happening, whether it’s in public or back-channeled, is being confronted and confronted strongly."
The Kremlin declined to confirm whether any intelligence or military assistance had been provided to Iran since the conflict began.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tehran had not requested military support from Moscow.
"We are in dialogue with the Iranian side, with representatives of the Iranian leadership, and will certainly continue this dialogue," Peskov said, declining further comment when pressed about possible intelligence cooperation.
Russia’s relationship with Iran has grown significantly in recent years, particularly following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The United States has previously declassified intelligence indicating that Iran supplied Russia with attack drones and helped establish a drone manufacturing facility to support Moscow’s war effort.
American officials have also accused Tehran of transferring short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the conflict.
The situation has also drawn in Ukraine, which has offered assistance to Middle Eastern partners seeking to defend against Iranian-made drones that have been widely used in modern warfare.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine has been approached by several regional governments for expertise in countering Shahed drones, which Iran has supplied to Russia and is now deploying across the Gulf region.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna, said Kyiv is prepared to share its experience after years of defending its cities from similar attacks.
"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."
The latest developments come as Washington also faces pressure over its military resources, with questions emerging about whether operations in the Iran conflict could strain American weapons stockpiles.
Trump has criticised the previous administration of Joe Biden for sending billions of dollars’ worth of advanced weaponry to Ukraine without adequately replenishing US reserves.
Despite the tensions, the White House insists diplomatic efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine remain possible.
"I think the president would say that peace is still an achievable objective with respect to the Russia-Ukraine war," Leavitt said. - March 7, 2026