Russia has been providing Iran with intelligence on the locations of American military assets in the Middle East, including warships and aircraft, a report by an International media publication has claimed, citing three officials familiar with the matter.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, told the publication that Moscow began passing targeting information to Tehran after the conflict expanded in the region.
The assistance marks the first indication that another major US adversary may be indirectly involved in the conflict, the report said.
Since the fighting began on Saturday, Russia has shared the locations of US military assets in the region, the officials told the international media publication. One of them described the effort as “pretty comprehensive”.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment when contacted by the publication. Moscow has previously called for an end to the conflict, describing it as an “unprovoked act of armed aggression”.
The extent of the intelligence support remains unclear, according to the officials, who added that Iran’s own ability to track US forces has weakened during the first week of fighting.
The report said that six US troops were killed and several others injured in an Iranian drone attack in Kuwait on Sunday.
According to the publication, Iran has launched thousands of one-way attack drones and hundreds of missiles targeting US military positions, embassies and civilians.
The strikes come as US and Israeli forces have carried out attacks on more than 2,000 targets inside Iran, including ballistic missile sites, naval assets and facilities linked to the country’s leadership.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the Iranian government was under military pressure but did not comment on the claims of Russian assistance.
“The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed,” Kelly said, according to the report.
The CIA and the Pentagon declined to comment when asked about the intelligence findings.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also downplayed the role of Russia and China when asked earlier this week about their involvement in the conflict.
“They’re not really a factor here,” Hegseth said.
Two of the officials cited in the report said there was no indication that China was assisting Iran’s military response despite close ties between the two countries.
The Chinese embassy in Washington DC said that Beijing had been engaging in diplomatic efforts with partners in the region and called for the conflict to “immediately cease”.
Analysts cited by the publication stated that the pattern of Iranian strikes suggested access to detailed intelligence.
Dara Massicot, an expert on the Russian military at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Iran appeared to be targeting command and control systems and early-warning radar infrastructure.
“They’re making very precise hits on early-warning radars or over-the-horizon radars,” Massicot said.
Iran operates only a limited number of military satellites and does not have its own satellite constellation, meaning imagery from Russia’s space capabilities could improve targeting, she added.
Nicole Grajewski, a researcher at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center who studies Iran-Russia cooperation, told the publication that Iranian retaliatory strikes showed a high level of planning.
“They’re getting through air defenses,” she said noting that the quality of Iran’s strikes appeared to have improved even from its 12-day war with Israel last summer.
People familiar with the matter also told the newspaper that the Pentagon is rapidly using its stockpile of precision weapons and air defence interceptors during the conflict.
The officials said Russia’s support reshapes the pattern of proxy involvement in the region since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
US adversaries including Iran, China, and North Korea provided Russia with military aid or material support, while the US has supplied Ukraine with military equipment and intelligence.
Iran has previously supported Russia during the Ukraine war by sharing technology to produce one-way attack drones used against Ukrainian targets, according to the officials cited by the publication.
The publication reported that the Kremlin sees potential advantages in a prolonged conflict between the US and Iran, including increased oil revenue and a distraction from the war in Ukraine.
