Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran concerning U.S. targets across the Middle East amid the rapidly increasing war on Iran, first reported by The Washington Post.
On Friday’s episode of “60 Minutes,” when asked about reports of Russia aiding Tehran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the U.S. is “tracking everything” and factoring it all into battle plans.
War on Iran and Russian Assistance
Since the U.S.-Israeli joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, Russia has provided Iran with the locations of US military assets, including warships and aircraft, according to three officials who spoke with The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity.
Additionally, anonymous officials told The Associated Press, US intelligence has not learned Russia is instructing Iran on what to do with the information being provided.
Hegseth says the U.S. is “not concerned” about the reports, downplaying the possibility that with the assistance of Russia, U.S. citizens could be in harm’s way.
“The American people can rest assured their Commander-in-Chief is well aware of who’s talking to whom,” Hegseth asserts, adding, “And anything that shouldn’t be happening, whether it’s in public or back-channelled, is being confronted and confronted strongly. We’re putting the other guys in danger, and that’s our job. So we’re not concerned about that. But the only ones that need to be worried right now are Iranians who think they’re gonna live.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also stated the reports of Russian assistance “clearly is not making any difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them.”
When asked if Trump had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin concerning the reported intelligence sharing or if he believed there should be repercussions, Leavitt said she would let the president speak to that.
Trump’s Response to Reports
Friday evening, Trump berated a reporter for raising the matter at the end of a White House meeting about the impact of paying student-athletes on college sports.
In response to Fox News reporter Peter Doocy, Trump said, “I have a lot of respect for you, you’ve always been very nice to me. What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. We’re talking about something else.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked if Russia would do more for Iran than offer political support to Iran. He responded, “We are in dialogue with the Iranian side, with representatives of the Iranian leadership, and will certainly continue this dialogue.”
Russia tightened relations with Iran while looking for missiles and drones for its war against Ukraine. Although the two have long maintained friendly relations, even while Tehran faced years of isolation over its nuclear program and support of proxy groups in the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthis.
Though the White House is downplaying these reports, it has not denied the sharing of intel between the Kremlin and Tehran.
When asked if this knowledge had shaken the faith he has in Putin’s ability to cut a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war, Leavitt responded, “I think the president would say that peace is still an achievable objective with respect to the Russia-Ukraine war.”
US Aided by Ukraine
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the U.S. and its Middle Eastern allies have sought their expertise to counter the Shahed drones coming from Iran. Tehran supplies Russia with these drones to use against Ukraine and is now using them in retaliation strikes throughout the Gulf.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Olga Stefanishyna, says: “Ukraine knows how to defend against Shahed drone attacks because our cities have faced them almost every night. When our partners are in need, we are always ready to help.”
The Biden Administration
The previous administration declassified intelligence findings proving Iran supplies Russia with attack drones and provided assistance in building a drone-manufacturing factory.
Additionally, Biden accused Iran of transferring short-range missiles to Moscow for the war in Ukraine.
These reports are the first signs of Putin’s involvement in the Iranian conflict.
Sources:
France 24: Russia is helping Iran target US military forces, officials say
Al Jazeera: US downplays reports Russia gave Iran intel to help Tehran strike US
CNN: Russia is aiding Iran’s war effort by providing intel on US military targets, sources say
Featured Image Courtesy of Thomas Hawk’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Discover more from Guardian Liberty Voice
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.