Iran war news: Russia 'giving Iran information on US military targets'
Russia has been accused of providing intelligence that could help Iran attack the US military, while Vladimir Putin has had a phone call with Iran's president.
Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with US intelligence on the matter.
The officials, who were not authorised to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that the US intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information.
The US and Israel are continuing their bombardment while Iran is firing retaliatory salvos at American assets and allies in the Persian Gulf.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Meanwhile, the Russian president had a call on Friday, local time, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
He expressed condolences over the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and “numerous civilian casualties resulting from the US and Israel’s armed aggression”.
In the call, the first reported by the Kremlin since the start of the war a week ago, Putin “reaffirmed Russia’s principled stance in favour of an immediate cessation of hostilities, the rejection of force as a method to solve any issues surrounding Iran or arising in the Middle East, and a swift return to the path of diplomatic resolution”, according to the Kremlin’s readout.
It said Pezeshkian “expressed gratitude for Russia’s solidarity with the Iranian people as they defend their sovereignty and the independence of their country” and offered a “detailed update on the developments during the latest active phase of the conflict”.
Russia is in the rare club of nations that maintains friendly relations with Tehran, which has faced years of isolation over its nuclear program and its support of proxy groups that have wreaked havoc in the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.
The White House downplayed reports Russia was sharing intelligence with Iran about US targets in the region.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday told reporters “it clearly is not making any difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them”.
Leavitt declined to say if Trump had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the reported intelligence sharing or whether he believed Russia should face repercussions, saying she would let the president speak to that himself.
Asked whether Russia would go beyond political support and offer military assistance to Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there has been no such request from Tehran.
“We are in dialogue with the Iranian side, with representatives of the Iranian leadership, and will certainly continue this dialogue,” he said on Friday.
Pushed on whether Moscow has provided any military or intelligence assistance to Tehran since the war’s start, he refrained from comment.
Russia has tightened its relationship with Iran as it looked for badly needed missiles and drones to use in its four-year war against Ukraine.
