US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States was “not concerned” by reports that Russia was providing Iran with intelligence on the positions and movements of US troops.
His response came after the Associated Press cited sources who said Russia had provided Iran with information that could help Tehran target US warships, aircraft and other assets in the region.
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While Hegseth declined to confirm the reports, in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” he said, “We’re watching everything.
“Our commanders are aware of everything,” he said, adding: “We have the best intelligence in the world. We know who is talking to whom.”
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States has “no interest” in reports that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence on the positions and movements of US troops.
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While Hegseth declined to confirm the reports, he told CBS’ “60 Minutes,” “We’re watching everything.”
Hegseth emphasized the strength of the nation’s surveillance capabilities, stating that “Our commanders are aware of everything.”
He further added that “We have the best intelligence in the world. We are aware of who is talking to whom.”
“We are not interested,” said the defense minister. He added: “We’re mitigating as we need to.”
Hegseth also emphasized that President Donald Trump is being kept informed of these developments. “The American people can rest assured that their commander in chief is well aware of who is talking to whom,” he said.
Hegseth warned that any illegal cooperation between foreign powers would be met with a strong US response.
“And anything that shouldn’t be happening, whether it’s public or relayed back, is confronted and confronted strongly,” he noted.
Is Russia giving Iran inputs?
Hegseth’s remarks follow reports that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence on the positions and movements of US personnel, vessels and aircraft.
According to sources familiar with US intelligence coverage of the matter, CNN said the development represents an initial sign of Moscow’s direct involvement in the ongoing conflict.
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A significant part of the shared data is said to be images from Moscow’s modern network of above-ground satellites.
While the nature of the information is clear, it remains unclear what compensation Russia is receiving for this support.
CNN reached out to the Kremlin and the Russian Embassy in Washington for comment on the matter.
Although a Washington Post report first highlighted this intelligence sharing, it has not yet been confirmed whether specific Iranian strikes can be directly attributed to Russian data.
However, several Iranian drones have recently targeted areas where US forces have been stationed.
