Russia is helping Iran with intelligence, sources say

Russia is providing Iran with intelligence on targets in the Middle East, including the location of US warships and aircraft, the Washington Post reported, citing three officials familiar with the intelligence.

However, the extent of Russian support remains unclear, according to the sources. They say the Iranian military’s ability to locate US forces has deteriorated since last week, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iranian targets.

The conflict in the Middle East has since escalated with a series of Iranian retaliatory attacks and is affecting other countries in the region. According to analysts, Iran is seeking to increase pressure on the United States, Israel and their allies.

The US military also announced that six members of the US reserve forces were killed in a drone attack on a military facility in the Kuwaiti port of Shuaiba.

The Kremlin confirmed that Russia is in contact with the Iranian leadership but declined to provide details when asked about possible military or intelligence support. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly did not directly comment on the allegations of Russian assistance to Iran.

The conflict has also increased demand for Russian oil and gas. Analysts say this has boosted Moscow’s exports, which had been weakened in recent years by sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.

(reuters, max)