The US has played down reports that Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran to help it target American assets across the Middle East during the escalating conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran.
The reports, first cited by The Washington Post, suggested that Moscow had passed Tehran information on the locations of US military assets, including warships and aircraft, since the war began on February 28.
However, US officials have sought to minimise the significance of the claims. Speaking in a CBS 60 Minutes interview, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US is “tracking everything” related to possible Russian-Iranian cooperation and factoring it into military planning. He added that Washington is not “overly concerned” by the reports and insisted that US leadership is fully aware of communications between Moscow and Tehran.
‘American operations remain unaffected by any intel sharing’
Anonymous US officials also told the Associated Press that American intelligence has not found evidence that Russia is directing Iran on how to use any information it may have shared.
Instead, they said the conflict continues to involve US and Israeli bombardment of Iranian targets while Iran retaliates with missile and drone strikes against US assets and allied sites in the Gulf region. Hegseth stressed that American military operations remain unaffected by the alleged intelligence sharing and argued that the United States is maintaining the upper hand in the conflict.
The White House has also echoed that position. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the reports have made “no difference” to US military operations, claiming American forces are “completely decimating” Iranian capabilities. She declined to comment on whether President Donald Trump had discussed the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin or whether Washington would consider any repercussions for Moscow, saying the president would address the issue himself if necessary.
Russia-Iran ties
Russia and Iran have strengthened ties in recent years, particularly as Moscow has relied on Iranian drones and missiles during its war in Ukraine, while Iran has long faced isolation from Western countries over its nuclear programme and its backing of armed groups across the Middle East.
When asked whether Russia might go beyond political backing and provide military assistance to Iran, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tehran had not requested such support.