Russia has been providing Iran with detailed intelligence about the locations of US military forces in the Middle East in an effort to help the Islamic Republic target American assets in the region. The development marks the first indication of even indirect involvement by another major US rival in the unfolding events in the Middle East.
According to three sources familiar with the intelligence who spoke with the Washington Post in a report published Friday morning, Russia has supplied Iran with precise information about the locations of US military assets since fighting erupted last Saturday. The intelligence reportedly included the positions of warships and fighter jets deployed across the region. One source described the Russian effort to assist Tehran as "fairly extensive and systematic."
The exact scope of Russia's targeting assistance to Iran remains unclear. However, the sources said Iran's ability to independently locate US forces was significantly degraded within less than a week after the fighting began, which may explain Tehran's urgent need for outside intelligence support.
US War Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed the issue of Russia and China earlier this week. The two countries are widely considered Iran's most powerful international backers. Hegseth said he had no special message for them and argued that "they are not really playing a role here."
Unlike Russia, China does not appear to be assisting Iran's defense efforts at this stage despite the close ties between the two countries. Two of the intelligence sources said there are no signs that Beijing is involved in providing assistance to Tehran, suggesting China may currently prefer to keep some distance from the conflict in order to avoid jeopardizing its complex relationship with Washington.
Meanwhile, a senior Ukrainian official told ABC News that Ukrainian drone interception specialists will be deployed across the Middle East "in the coming days" to help defend US bases.
