US downplays reports Russia gave Iran intel to help Tehran strike US assets

Pentagon asserts US forces are tracking Russian-Iranian operations amid escalating conflict in the region.Published On 7 Mar 2026Washington has downplayed reports that Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran about United States targets across the Middle East amid the burgeoning US-Israel war on Iran, first reported by The Washington Post.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a CBS 60 Minutes interview on Friday, said the US is “tracking everything” and factoring it into battle plans when asked about the reports Moscow was aiding Tehran.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Iran war: What is happening on day eight of US-Israel attacks?list 2 of 4Iranian missiles intercepted over Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain sirenslist 3 of 4At least 26 killed in Israeli air strikes on Lebanon’s Bekaa: State medialist 4 of 4Tehran pounded in week two of US-Israel war, Iran targets Israelend of listSince the war began on February 28, Russia has passed Iran the locations of US military assets, including warships and aircraft, three officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Washington Post.“It does seem like it’s a pretty comprehensive effort,” one of the sources told the newspaper.Meanwhile, anonymous officials told The Associated Press news agency that US intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information, as the US and Israel continue their bombardment and Iran fires retaliatory salvoes at US assets and allies in the Gulf.Hegseth said the United States is “not concerned” about the reports, also downplaying the possibility that Russia’s assistance could be putting US citizens in harm’s way.“The American people can rest assured their commander-in-chief is well aware of who’s talking to who,” Hegseth said.“And anything that shouldn’t be happening, whether it’s in public or back-channelled, is being confronted and confronted strongly.”He continued: “We’re putting the other guys in danger, and that’s our job. So we’re not concerned about that. But the only ones that need to be worried right now are Iranians that think they’re gonna live.”