Russia Provided Iran With Information That Can Help Tehran Strike U.S. Military: AP Report

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, planes and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter.

The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive issue and spoke on condition of anonymity, cautioned that U.S. intelligence had not revealed that Russia had instructed Iran on what to do with the information. USA and Israel continue bombardment and Iran is firing retaliatory salvos at American assets and allies in the Persian Gulf.

Still, this is the first indication that Moscow is trying to intervene in the war that the US and Israel launched against Iran a week ago. Russia is among the rare countries that maintain friendly relations with Tehran, which has faced years of isolation due to its nuclear program and support for proxy groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis wreaking havoc in the Middle East.

The White House has downplayed reports that Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran about U.S. targets in the region. “It makes absolutely no difference in terms of military operations in Iran because we’re completely destroying them,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Friday.

Leavitt declined to say whether Trump spoke Russian President Vladimir Putin As for the reported intelligence sharing or whether he believed Russia would face repercussions, he said he would let the president talk about it himself.

Asked whether Russia would go beyond political support and offer military aid to Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there was no such request from Tehran.

“We are in dialogue with the Iranian side and representatives of the Iranian leadership, and we will definitely continue this dialogue,” he said on Friday.

He declined to comment when asked whether Moscow had provided any military or intelligence assistance to Tehran since the beginning of the Iran war.

Russia has tightened its relations with Iran as it searches for much-needed missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles to use on its own territory. Four years of war against Ukraine.

The Biden administration has declassified intelligence findings showing that Iran is providing attack drones to Moscow and helping the Kremlin set up a drone production factory.

The former US administration also blamed Iran. transport of short-range ballistic missiles with Russia because of its war in Ukraine.

Details of the US intelligence were first reported by The Washington Post.

Asked if this statement shook Trump’s belief that Putin could undo any peace agreement in the Russia-Ukraine war, Leavitt said, “I think the president would say peace is still an achievable goal for the Russia-Ukraine war.”

Meanwhile, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy The United States and its allies in the Middle East Seeking Ukraine’s expertise inside Against Iran’s Shahed drones. Tehran has been supplying Witnesses to Russia for its war against Ukraine and is now using them in retaliatory strikes across the Gulf.

Zelenskyy says he has met with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait about possible cooperation.

“Ukraine knows how to defend against Shahed drone attacks because our cities face them almost every night,” said Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Olga Stefanishyna. “We are always ready to help our partners when they need it.”

Trump has had an on-and-off relationship with Zelenskyy, as he has struggled to fulfill his campaign promise to end the Russia-Ukraine war. He has frequently pressured the Ukrainian leader to heed Russia’s demands, including that Kiev surrender Ukrainian territory it still controls.

While the Pentagon faces questions about whether the Iran war has depleted U.S. stockpiles, Trump this week complained that former President Joe Biden provided Ukraine with billions of dollars of high-end weapons and failed to replenish U.S. reserves.

Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.