Russia is supplying Iran with targeting data that includes the locations of US warships and aircraft operating in the Middle East, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing three officials familiar with the intelligence.
The disclosure comes as Iran’s own capacity to track US forces has diminished following American and Israeli strikes against Tehran last week, the Post reported. The full extent of Moscow’s assistance remains unclear.
The Kremlin confirmed on Friday that Russia was in contact with Iran’s leadership but declined to say whether it was providing military support when questioned by reporters.
The conflict has broadened since those initial strikes, drawing in neighbouring countries as Iran seeks to impose costs on the US, Israel and their allies through retaliatory action.
Six US Army Reserve soldiers were killed when a drone struck a military facility in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, the Pentagon confirmed. President Donald Trump and senior officials have warned further American casualties are likely.
A White House spokeswoman declined to address the reported Russian assistance directly. “The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed,” spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to Reuters, pointing to declining Iranian ballistic missile launches, losses to its navy and the degradation of its production capacity.
The war has delivered an unexpected windfall for Moscow, driving a surge in demand for Russian oil and gas and lifting exports hit hard by sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. Washington has provided Ukraine with intelligence throughout that conflict.
The Russian Embassy in Washington and Russia’s UN mission did not respond to requests for comment.
(Reuters)
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