Kremlin Rejects Reports Russia Aided Iranian Attacks on U.S. Forces

The Kremlin on Wednesday rejected reports that Russia has provided Iran with satellite imagery and advanced drone technology to help target U.S. forces in the Middle East. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegations during a briefing, calling the reports “fake news.”

The denial comes after several recent media reports claimed that Moscow has expanded military and intelligence cooperation with Tehran during the ongoing war. According to those reports, Russia supplied satellite imagery and technical assistance designed to improve Iran’s ability to direct attacks against American military assets across the region.

A report published Tuesday by the Wall Street Journal said Russia had shared satellite imagery with Iran and provided technology aimed at improving the accuracy and effectiveness of Iranian drone operations. The report also said Moscow had offered professional expertise and operational techniques for deploying unmanned aerial systems as part of a growing military partnership between the two countries.

Those allegations followed an earlier report by the Washington Post roughly two weeks ago that Russia had already begun supplying Iran with intelligence information related to potential American targets. According to that report, Moscow transferred data on the locations of U.S. military assets, including warships and aircraft operating in the region.

Despite the reports, senior U.S. officials have publicly downplayed the extent of Russian involvement. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Russia and China “are not really a factor in the war,” suggesting that neither power has played a decisive operational role in the fighting.

Analysts say the allegations of Russian assistance are closely tied to the deepening relationship between Moscow and Tehran since the war in Ukraine. Iran has supplied Russia with drone technology that Moscow used in large numbers during attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure, including efforts to overwhelm Kyiv’s air defense systems.

According to officials cited in previous reporting, Russia may now be responding in kind to American support for Ukraine. One source quoted in coverage of the intelligence-sharing allegations said the Russians were “very happy” to return the favor.

One of the most significant aspects of the alleged assistance involves satellite intelligence. Iran possesses only a limited number of military satellites and lacks a large independent space-based reconnaissance network. Access to Russian satellite imagery could therefore give Tehran a meaningful intelligence advantage when planning operations.

Although Russia’s space-based surveillance capabilities are generally considered less advanced than those of the United States, they remain among the most sophisticated intelligence systems in the world.

Despite the accusations of covert support, Russia has so far avoided openly entering the fighting and has repeatedly called for an end to the war. At the same time, Moscow’s growing military cooperation with Tehran underscores the increasingly close strategic alignment between the two countries.