WASHINGTON -- US officials on March 6 told RFE/RL that Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to attack US troops and military assets in the Middle East, confirming a Washington Post report that suggested Moscow is playing a substantial if indirect part in the widening regional conflict.
The alleged cooperation comes at a very delicate time for US-Russian relations, with the nuclear-armed rivals at odds over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and Washington's efforts to end that war running up against the Kremlin's refusal, so far, to make concessions on territory and other issues.
The Post report, which cited three officials familiar with the intelligence, says Moscow has provided Tehran with the locations of US military assets -- including warships and aircraft -- since the conflict began on February 28 with US and Israeli air strikes on Iran. One told the newspaper it appeared to be "a pretty comprehensive effort” by Moscow.
US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not provide further details to RFE/RL about the scope or mechanisms of the intelligence sharing.
Russia and Iran have long-standing military, political, and diplomatic ties. Iran has supplied Russia with large numbers of Shahed drones used to strike Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, though Russia now uses the technology to make drones on its own soil, for the most part.
SEE ALSO: Hanna Notte: US-Israeli Attack On Iran 'Will Only Harden Russia's Position On Ukraine'The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Russian officials have publicly called for an end to the war, describing it as an “unprovoked act of armed aggression” against Iran.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian on March 6 and reiterated Moscow's call for an "immediate end to he military action," the the Kremlin said.
White House Dismisses Impact
US intelligence agencies have declined to comment publicly on the reports. But the White House rejected the notion that Russian assistance has had a major effect.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement 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,” she said.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also dismissed the impact of Moscow’s reported intelligence support.
“It clearly is not making a difference with respect to the military operations in Iran, because we are completely decimating them,” Leavitt said, adding that Iran’s navy had been rendered “combat ineffective.”
She also said Iranian ballistic missile retaliatory strikes had dropped by roughly 90 percent and insisted the US was continuing to meet its military objectives.
Leavitt added that Washington was “well on our way” to taking control of Iranian airspace and said Iran would reach “unconditional surrender” when the president determines that the country no longer poses a threat to the United States and the objectives of “Operation Epic Fury” have been achieved.
In a social media post earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said that there "will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
Lawmakers React
Despite the White House’s words, the reports have drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers in Washington. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire said the alleged Russian involvement underscores a growing threat posed by Moscow.
“Make no mistake: Russia is targeting Americans in the Middle East, Ukraine and around the world,” she said in a statement. “Instead of taking action, the president is relaxing sanctions on Russia and refusing to support Ukraine. It’s unacceptable and invites further aggression against Americans.”
Republican Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska, a vocal supporter of Ukraine, echoed the criticism.
“Russia and Iran are closely aligned.... It should not surprise us that Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to help Iran kill American and Israeli service members," he told RFE/RL on March 6. "It should surprise us that the Trump Administration seems to be oblivious to this."
Bacon asserted that Moscow’s broader strategic goal is to weaken the United States. "In response, we should send long range precision weapons, air defenses and upgraded F-16s to Ukraine,” he said. “We should also put tough sanctions on Russia’s economy. This should have been done a year ago.”
Moscow’s Role
Analysts say intelligence sharing may be the most practical form of support Moscow can currently provide Tehran.
Glen Howard, president of the Saratoga Foundation and a longtime Russia strategist, told RFE/RL that Russia’s own military losses in Ukraine limit its ability to send major weapons systems to Iran.
“Because of heavy equipment losses in the Ukraine war, Moscow currently faces its own hardware shortages and cannot fill the void Iran needs by transferring radar or aircraft,” Howard said. “That means the most immediate and valuable asset Moscow can offer Iran right now is the sharing of timely, actionable intelligence.”
Howard added that Russia could also help sustain Iran’s drone campaign through a production facility in the Tatarstan region.
The Iranian-designed Shahed drones manufactured at the Alabuga facility -- known in Russia as Geran-2 -- are currently being produced at a rate of roughly 3,000 per month, he said, far exceeding Iran’s own domestic production capacity of between 200 and 500 drones monthly.
As Iranian missile and drone inventories decline under sustained strikes, Howard said Russia could potentially help fill the gap.
Howard also pointed to a supply corridor running through the Volga River and across the Caspian Sea, which he said provides a relatively secure route for shipments between the two countries.
Unlike air transport, which can be intercepted, the Caspian route functions as an “interior supply line” largely shielded from US or allied interdiction, allowing Russia to move drones, missile components, and electronics to Iran.
Russian intelligence support and logistical links across the Caspian could become “indispensable to the survival of the Iranian regime” as the conflict drags on.