Russia is providing Iran with targeting data to facilitate strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East, according to three officials familiar with the intelligence. This development marks the first indication that another major U.S. adversary is participating in the conflict, albeit indirectly.
The previously unreported assistance suggests that one of America's primary nuclear rivals, equipped with advanced reconnaissance capabilities, has intervened in the widening crisis. Since the outbreak of hostilities last Saturday, Russia has been transmitting the locations of U.S. military assets, including naval vessels and aircraft, to Iran. Sources shared this information on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
"This appears to be a highly sophisticated and coordinated effort," one source stated.
The Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. Moscow has publicly called for an end to the war, which it characterized as an "unprovoked act of armed aggression."
The exact scale of Russian assistance to Iran remains partially unclear. However, officials noted that the Iranian military's own capabilities for detecting U.S. forces have degraded significantly after less than a week of fighting.
On Sunday, an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait killed six American service members and wounded several others. Iran has launched thousands of kamikaze drones and hundreds of missiles at U.S. military positions, embassies, and civilian targets. Concurrently, a joint U.S.-Israeli campaign has struck more than 2,000 Iranian targets, including ballistic missile launch sites.