Russia has provided Iran with information that can help Tehran strike US military, AP sources say
Russia’s reported intelligence support to Iran raises the threat floor for U.S. forces in the Gulf as a wider power contest seeps into an active U.S.-initiated war.
Mar 6, 2026
Sources
Summary
U.S. intelligence indicates Russia provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft, and other U.S. assets in the region. The disclosure reflects a widening international entanglement as Moscow moves to influence a conflict the U.S. and Israel initiated against Iran. The practical consequence is an elevated operational threat to U.S. forces and partners in the Persian Gulf as Iran conducts retaliatory attacks.
Reality Check
When foreign powers trade targeting-relevant intelligence amid active hostilities, our military’s safety becomes hostage to backchannel escalation rather than transparent democratic control of war powers. This kind of external entanglement accelerates conflict dynamics faster than Congress or the public can meaningfully oversee, weakening accountability for decisions that place Americans in harm’s way. Normalizing wars that expand through opaque intelligence exchanges conditions the country to accept perpetual, unmanaged escalation as standard governance.
Detail
<p>Two U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reporting said Russia has provided Iran with information that could aid Tehran in targeting American warships, aircraft, and other U.S. assets in the region. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.</p><p>The officials said U.S. intelligence has not found that Russia is directing Iran on how to use the information. The disclosure comes as the U.S. and Israel continue bombardment of Iran that began about a week earlier, and as Iran fires retaliatory salvos at American assets and U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf.</p><p>The officials described the intelligence as the first indication that Moscow has sought to get involved in the war. Russia is described as maintaining friendly relations with Tehran despite Iran’s isolation tied to its nuclear program and support for proxy groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.</p>