Russia is providing intelligence to Iran regarding U.S. positions in the Middle East during the ongoing joint U.S. and Israeli military operations in Iran, multiple sources, including a senior U.S. official with direct knowledge, told CBS News on Friday.
The Kremlin’s sharing of information about U.S. assets is the first known indication that Russia, a major adversary of the U.S., is indirectly aiding Iran. The intelligence aid from Russia was first reported by the Washington Post.
When asked by reporters this week what message he had for Russia and China, two of Iran’s most powerful supporters, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he had none, adding, “they’re not really a factor here.”
Moscow and Tehran have expanded their military cooperation since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Iran has supplied Russia with Shahed attack drones that have been used extensively to strike Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, according to U.S. officials. Tehran has also helped Moscow establish a facility inside Russia to manufacture Iranian-designed drones domestically.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week in a post on X that the U.S. had asked Ukraine for its help defending Gulf countries from Iranian drone strikes, saying he had given instructions “to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the necessary security.”
The U.S. has been brokering three-way peace talks between Ukraine and Russia that have so far not reached a breakthrough.
Earlier Friday, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia’s government is in “dialogue” with representatives of the Iranian leadership. Peskov’s comments, his only remarks in relation to Iran at his Friday briefing, came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Russia and China were assisting Iran politically and “in other ways.”
Peskov declined to comment to the Post when asked about the intelligence findings.
The White House did not directly comment on Russia’s involvement, telling CBS News that “the Iranian regime is being absolutely 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,” said Anna Kelly, White House principal deputy press secretary, said in a statement. “Operation Epic Fury is meeting or surpassing all of its goals, and the United States will continue to dominate.”
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, when asked during an appearance on Fox News about Russia providing intelligence to Iran on U.S. assets, said she could not comment on “intelligence reports that are leaked to the press.”
“Whether or not this happened, frankly, it doesn’t really matter, because President Trump and the United States military are absolutely decimating the rogue Iranian terrorist regime,” she said.
Later she clarified to reporters that she meant Russia sharing intelligence on U.S. assets with Iran “doesn’t matter” because “it clearly is not making a difference with respect to the military operations in Iran, because we are completely decimating them.”
The CIA declined to comment on Russia’s intelligence-sharing.
So far, six U.S. troops have been killed in the military offensive the Trump administration is calling Operation Epic Fury. They died when an Iranian strike hit a tactical operations center where they were working in Kuwait.
All six were members of a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in Des Moines, Iowa. President Trump is expected to attend the dignified transfer of those service members when they are returned to the United States.
