DORAL, Fla.
President Donald Trump on Saturday downplayed the significance of intelligence suggesting that Russia is providing Iran with information to help target U.S. military personnel and assets in the Middle East, suggesting that even if the reports are true, the assistance has done little to aid Tehran’s war effort.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Miami, the president stopped short of confirming the findings, first reported by The Associated Press and other outlets, that U.S. intelligence agencies believe Moscow has been passing along targeting data to Iran.
But when asked about the implications of such a partnership, Trump dismissed its importance.
“If you take a look at what’s happened to Iran in the last week, if they’re getting information, it’s not helping them much,” Trump said.
The president’s remarks came just one day after he attended the dignified transfer of six U.S. Army reservists killed in a drone strike in Kuwait.
The deaths mark the first American combat fatalities since the U.S. and Israel launched a large-scale military campaign against Iran a week ago—an offensive that has rattled global markets and raised fears of a broader regional conflict.
Trump did not explicitly confirm the intelligence assessment regarding Russian assistance, but he did not dispute it either.
When pressed on whether such behavior from Moscow might affect his administration’s approach to the U.S.-Russia relationship, the president waved off the question without further comment.
The alleged intelligence sharing, if confirmed, would represent a significant escalation in Russian involvement in the conflict and raise serious questions about coordination between Moscow and Tehran against U.S. forces.
Critics have argued that such cooperation could embolden Iranian strikes and put American lives at greater risk.
The White House has not yet released an official statement on the intelligence reports.
By James Kisoo
