US downplays reports Russia gave Iran intel to help Tehran strike US assets | Conflict news

The Pentagon asserts that US forces are tracking Russian-Iranian operations amid escalating conflict in the region.

The Washington Post first reported that Washington downplayed reports that Russia was sharing intelligence with Iran about United States targets across the Middle East amid the escalating US-Israel war over Iran.

In an interview on CBS 60 Minutes on Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. is “tracking everything” and framing it as war plans when asked about reports that Moscow is helping Tehran.

Since the war began on February 28, Russia has passed the locations of US military assets, including warships and aircraft, to Iran, three officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Washington Post.

“It looks like a pretty comprehensive effort,” a source told the paper.

Meanwhile, anonymous officials told the Associated Press news agency that U.S. intelligence has not revealed what Russia is directing Iran to do with the information as the U.S. and Israel continue their bombing campaign and Iran carries out retaliatory attacks on U.S. assets and allies in the Gulf.

Hegseth said the United States was “not concerned” about the reports, saying Russian aid would make it less likely that U.S. citizens would be put in harm’s way.

“The American people can rest assured that their commander-in-chief is well aware of who he’s talking to,” Hegseth said.

“And what shouldn’t happen, whether it’s public or back-channel, is being countered and countered forcefully.”

He continued: “We’re putting other people at risk and that’s our job. So we’re not worried about that. But the only ones who should be worried right now are the Iranians who hope they’ll survive.”

White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt told reporters on Friday that “(the report) makes no difference as far as military operations in Iran are concerned because we are absolutely destroying them.”

Leavitt declined to say whether Trump had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the reported intelligence sharing or whether he believed Russia would face consequences, saying he would let the president speak for himself.

First signs of Moscow’s involvement

Trump criticized a reporter for bringing up the subject of the report Friday evening when he opened the floor to questions from the media at the end of a White House meeting about how student-athletes have redefined college sports.

“I have a lot of respect for you, you’ve always been very good to me,” the US president told Fox News reporter Peter Doocy.

“What a stupid question to ask at this time. We’re talking about something else.”

The intelligence is the first indication that Moscow has tried to get involved in the war that the US and Israel launched on Iran a week ago.

Asked if Russia would offer military assistance to Iran beyond political support, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there had been no such request from Tehran.

“We are in talks with the Iranian team with representatives of the Iranian leadership and will certainly continue this dialogue,” he said on Friday.

Iran has ruled out whether Moscow has provided any military or intelligence assistance to Tehran since the start of the war, refraining from comment.

Russia has tightened its ties with Iran as it seeks badly needed missiles and drones to use in its four-year war against Ukraine. But the pair have long maintained friendly ties even as Tehran faces years of isolation from the West over its nuclear program and support for proxy groups in the Middle East.