Russia has been providing Iran with intelligence to help target US forces and assets in the Middle East, according to a report by The Washington Post, which cited three officials familiar with the intelligence.
According to The Post, Russia has been passing Iran the locations of American military assets since the war began, including US warships and aircraft operating in the region.
“It does seem like it’s a pretty comprehensive effort,” one official familiar with the intelligence told the news outlet.
Expanding conflict involving major powers
The reported intelligence-sharing highlights the growing geopolitical stakes in the conflict, potentially drawing in one of Washington’s primary nuclear-armed rivals.
According to the outlet, the development suggests the expanding war now features “one of America’s chief nuclear-armed competitors with exquisite intelligence capabilities.”
The extent of Moscow’s assistance remains unclear, though officials told the outlet that Iran’s own ability to locate US forces has already been degraded in the early days of the conflict.
Kremlin declines comment
When contacted by The Post, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the intelligence findings.
Russia has publicly called for an end to the war, describing the fighting as an “unprovoked act of armed aggression.”
Iranian attacks on US positions
The conflict has already resulted in American casualties. Six US service members were killed and several others injured in a drone attack on Sunday in Kuwait.
Iran has launched thousands of one-way attack drones and hundreds of missiles targeting US military positions, embassies and civilians across the region.
At the same time, a joint American-Israeli campaign has struck more than 2,000 Iranian targets, including ballistic missile sites, naval assets and leadership facilities.
China not involved, officials say
Two officials familiar with the intelligence told The Post that China does not appear to be assisting Iran’s military operations, despite close political and economic ties between the two countries.
