Russia is providing electronic intelligence to Iran that is likely helping Tehran pinpoint American forces in aerial attacks or jam American-made weapons, according to a U.S. and a European official with knowledge of the matter, NBC News reported Friday. Russian satellite surveillance and signals intelligence are likely allowing Iran to better defend itself against U.S. airstrikes and refine its own aerial assaults, the officials said.
The disclosure comes as the U.S.-Iran war drags on with no signs of de-escalation, and as Washington weighs a new wave of strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure that could begin as soon as this weekend. It also deepens a picture of Moscow’s quiet military support for Tehran that has drawn mounting concern from U.S. and European officials throughout the conflict.
Earlier this year, U.S. officials said Russia was sharing intelligence with Iran to help it hit American targets, and Moscow’s role has been the subject of repeated diplomatic friction. In March, a senior Trump administration envoy said Russia had told the White House it was not sharing intelligence with Iran during the war, while U.S. and European allies have continued to report that Russian help has been more extensive than Washington has publicly acknowledged.
Analysts have noted that Russian and Chinese assistance has helped Iran maintain battlefield awareness even as U.S. strikes have targeted its air defenses and command infrastructure. Electronic intelligence and satellite surveillance can help Iranian forces track American aircraft and warships, adjust air defenses, and coordinate attacks on U.S. assets in the Gulf region.
The assessment was based on information from a U.S. and a European official, both with direct knowledge of the intelligence-sharing relationship, according to the NBC report. Officials did not detail the specific types of signals intelligence involved or the frequency of the exchanges.
The confirmation underscores how the conflict has expanded beyond a bilateral U.S.-Iran fight into a broader contest involving outside powers. Iran has repeatedly said it is not isolated, pointing to support from Russia and China, while Washington has sought to counter Tehran’s alliances with sanctions and diplomatic pressure.
The revelation also comes as the human toll of the war mounts. Earlier in the conflict, U.S. service members were killed in an attack on American forces in Jordan, and Iran has struck U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain in tit-for-tat exchanges that have widened the Gulf conflict. U.S. officials say Russian-supplied electronic intelligence has made Iranian attacks more effective and American operations more costly.
Neither Moscow nor Tehran has publicly acknowledged the electronic intelligence-sharing arrangement described in the report. The Kremlin has previously denied providing targeting assistance to Iran, while Iranian officials have said cooperation with Russia is not a secret and covers many areas beyond military support.
Sources: NBC News, NBC News (Jordan attack), The Jerusalem Post (Iran News)
Author: Middle East Desk
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