Pete Hegseth says Russia should not be involved in Middle East war

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Russia “should not be involved” in the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, as analysts pointed out that Russian military activities coincide with reports that Moscow may be aiding Tehran.

“The President maintains strong relationships with world leaders, and that creates opportunities and options for us in very dynamic ways,” Hegseth said when asked about President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. he said.

But he added that Russia “should not be involved” as it relates to the Middle East conflict.

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The administration’s message comes amid reports that Russia has provided information that could help Iran identify U.S. military assets, including warships and aircraft, in the Middle East. Moscow did not publicly confirm the allegations.

Intelligence assessments stated that Russia provided Iran with information that could help determine the location of American warships, aircraft and other military assets in the Middle East. Officials reportedly emphasized that there was no public evidence that Moscow directed the Iranian attacks, but said the information could aid Tehran’s targeting efforts.

The scope, timing and operational impact of this information have not been publicly disclosed.

While there is no public evidence conclusively proving that Russia is providing real-time targeting data, George Barros, a Russia expert at the Institute for the Study of War, said open source indications are consistent with the type of support described in the reports.

Barros noted Russian military reconnaissance satellites, including Cosmos-2550, a radar and electronic signature spacecraft that recently passed over the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, where U.S. forces operate.

“They specialize in maritime reconnaissance and detecting ships, because the radar signature in the water gives a really good signal,” Barros said. “These are known capabilities of the Russians.”

Such radar systems can detect maritime targets and electronic emissions that reveal force positioning. These capabilities are consistent with known gaps in Iran’s own space-based intelligence collection, Barros said.

Barros said the convergence of Russia’s reconnaissance capabilities, satellite positioning and reported cooperation was “completely logical”, although he cautioned that he had no conclusive evidence of real-time targeting support.

On Monday, Trump described his latest call with Putin as “very good” and “constructive” and said the Russian leader “wanted to be very constructive.” Trump suggested Moscow could be more useful by helping end the war in Ukraine.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged over the weekend that Russia was helping Iran in its war with the United States and Israel “in many different directions.” Asked whether this included intelligence sharing, Araghchi said, “They help us in many different ways,” but added, “I don’t have detailed information.”

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Beyond intelligence gathering, analysts say battlefield patterns point to tactical cross-pollination between Russia and Iran.

Iran’s foreign minister acknowledged over the weekend that Russia, led by President Vladimir Putin, pictured here, is helping Tehran “in many different directions” in its war with the United States and Israel. (NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP)

During the war in Ukraine, Iran provided Russia with Shahed unidirectional attack aircraft, which Moscow deployed extensively against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Over time, Russian forces have developed strike packages combining unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles to defeat integrated Western air defense systems.

“The Russians have been really good at learning how to launch drones against integrated Western air defense systems,” Barros said.

Those lessons, he said, inform Iranian offensive tactics in the Middle East, where Tehran has launched large-scale combined missile and drone strikes against U.S. and allied targets.

Barros argued that intelligence sharing that materially supports targeting Iran, if confirmed, would mean Moscow acting as a “joint belligerent” party.

“The Russians are emerging as the belligerent side with Iran,” he said, adding that the Kremlin has long viewed the United States as a geopolitical enemy.

At the same time, Russia appears limited in how far it can go.

Russian ground forces are stuck in Ukraine and are in no position to send troops to help Iran. Analysts say any Russian support is much more likely to come in the form of intelligence sharing, technology transfer or drone production rather than going into the field.

In December 2025, during Russia’s attack on Ukraine, a drone crashed into an apartment building in Kiev. “The Russians have been really good at learning how to launch drones against integrated Western air defense systems,” says Russia expert George Barros. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters)

One potential path involves drone manufacturing.

Russia operates large-scale Shahed-derived drone production facilities, initially made possible by Iranian technology transfers. If Iran’s domestic drone factories are disrupted by attacks, Russian production could theoretically help sustain Tehran’s air campaign, but there is no confirmed evidence that such transfers have occurred.

Defense officials have publicly downplayed the operational impact of any reported Russian assistance, saying U.S. commanders monitor foreign intelligence activity and factor it into planning.

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The contrast between Trump’s description of Putin as a “constructor” and Hegseth’s warning that Russia should stay out of the conflict underscores the delicate balance the administration is trying to strike — pursuing diplomacy in Ukraine while facing the prospect of deeper cooperation between Moscow and Tehran in the Middle East.

For now, analysts say the evidence lacks conclusive evidence. But the harmonization of Russia’s reconnaissance capabilities, battlefield tactics developed in Ukraine and Tehran’s acceptance of its own aid have intensified scrutiny of Moscow’s role as the regional war progresses.

Russia has not publicly responded to allegations of intelligence sharing with Iran but has generally called for a de-escalation of the conflict.

The Russian embassy could not immediately be reached for comment.