On Friday, President Donald Trump said he believes Vladimir Putin may be assisting Iran “a bit” amid the escalating conflict involving the U.S. and Israel, as reports suggest Russia could be sharing intelligence on American military positions.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump acknowledged the possibility that Moscow may be providing limited support to Tehran while drawing a parallel to U.S. backing of Ukraine in its war with Russia.
“I think he may be helping them a bit, yeah,” Trump said, referring to Putin. “He probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine… They do it and we do it.”
Trump has previously downplayed the impact that potential Russian intelligence assistance might have on the conflict.
WSJ Reports Russia Shared US Military Coordinates
A report from the Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials and a former Russian intelligence officer, said Russia has shared intelligence with Iran that could include coordinates of U.S. military ships and aircraft operating in the Middle East.
If accurate, the information could help Iran track potential targets. Iran’s satellite capabilities are relatively limited, so data from Russian satellites could help fill key intelligence gaps.
US Warns Russia Against Assisting Iran
Earlier this week, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington has communicated its concerns to Moscow.
“Strongly said that,” Witkoff told reporters when asked if the U.S. warned Russia not to provide intelligence or other assistance to Iran.
When asked whether he believed Russia was doing so, Witkoff replied, “I hope they’re not.”
The allegations come as geopolitical tensions remain high across the Middle East.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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