Kathrine Frich
Russia may be sharing intelligence with Iran that could be used in attacks against U.S. forces in the Middle East.
Despite the claims, officials in the Trump administration have largely played down the possibility that Moscow is directly helping Tehran target American troops.
Witkoff says Russia denies sharing intelligence
Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, recently spoke about the issue after holding talks with Yuri Ushakov, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Witkoff and Jared Kushner reportedly discussed several topics with the Kremlin official, including media reports that Russia had supplied intelligence to Iran used in attacks on U.S. forces.
Speaking later in an interview with CNBC, Witkoff said Russian officials had denied the allegations.
“The Russians assure us they are not passing intelligence information to the Iranians. Let’s hope they are not,” Witkoff said.
The remark surprised some observers, as Witkoff is widely seen as holding relatively favorable views toward Moscow.
Reports claim Russia may be helping Iran
Earlier reporting by the Washington Post, citing three officials familiar with intelligence matters, suggested that Russia has been providing Iran with information that could help Tehran carry out attacks on American military forces in the region.
According to the report, the full scale of the alleged intelligence cooperation remains unclear.
Analysts have noted that the reported assistance could help explain how Iranian forces have successfully targeted U.S. facilities, including command infrastructure, radar systems, and temporary military installations.
One such attack in Kuwait recently killed six American soldiers.
Trump also downplays the allegations
President Donald Trump has also appeared to dismiss the significance of the reports.
Speaking about the possibility of Russian support for Iran, Trump said the United States does not know for certain whether Moscow is assisting Tehran.
However, he argued that even if intelligence sharing is taking place, it may not significantly affect the conflict.
“Look, they can release all the information they want, but the people they’re sending it to are overwhelmed. Russia would be overwhelmed too,” Trump said.
When asked whether Washington had a message for Russia or China, which are widely viewed as Iran’s most powerful allies, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to comment directly.
He said the countries “have no relevance” to the situation.
Sources: CNBC, Washington Post, Digi24, WP.
