WASHINGTON — Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on the location of U.S. forces in the Middle East, a boost for Tehran as it launches missile and drone attacks on American bases and other targets in the region, according to four sources with knowledge of the matter.
The intelligence assistance from Russia could help Iran locate American warships, radar or other communication systems, but there is no indication 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 data from its satellites and other intelligence underscores the widening geopolitical fallout from the war and could carry potential risks for American ships, aircraft and bases in the region.
The Washington Post first reported on Russia’s assistance.
When asked about Russian intelligence assistance to Iran, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the Iranian regime was being crushed.
“Their ballistic missile retaliation is decreasing every day, their navy is being wiped out, their production capacity is being demolished, and proxies are hardly putting up a fight,” she said, adding the U.S. operation in the Middle East was meeting or surpassing its goals.
Publicly available images of Iranian strikes in recent days have shown U.S. military radar, satellite dishes and communication infrastructure coming under attack at American 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 assistance from Russia and China but declined to elaborate.
“They are supporting us politically and otherwise,” Araghchi said.
Long-standing military cooperation between Iran and Russia “is not a secret,” he said.
Asked if Iran was receiving military assistance from Russia or China, he said: “Well, I’m not going to give the details of our cooperation with other countries right in the middle of the war.”
President Donald Trump has often said he has an excellent rapport with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has claimed 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 press conference earlier this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked about Russia and China’s calls for an immediate ceasefire and whether the U.S. had a message for Moscow or Beijing.
“I don’t have a message for them. They’re not really a factor here,” he said.
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