US ‘not concerned’ by reports Russia aiding Iran’s targeting

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WASHINGTON – US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on March 6 that the United States is “not concerned” about reports that

Russia is providing intelligence to Iran

on US troop positions and movements.

While declining to confirm the reports, Mr Hegseth, in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes”, said: “We’re tracking everything.”

“Our commanders are aware of everything,” he said. “We have the best intelligence in the world. We’re aware of who’s talking to who.”

“We’re not concerned about that,” the defence secretary said. “We mitigate it as we need to.”

Earlier on March 6, the White House also downplayed a report that Russia is providing Iran with targeting information about US forces in the Middle East.

“It clearly is not making a difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

“We are achieving the military objectives of this operation and that is going to continue,” Ms Leavitt said.

The Washington Post, citing officials familiar with the intelligence, said Russia has provided Iran with the locations of US military assets, including ships and aircraft.

Six US service members were

killed in a drone attack on a US base in Kuwait

on March 1 and the CIA station in Riyadh has also been hit.

The Post said China did not appear to be aiding Iran’s defences.

Russia and China have longstanding diplomatic and trade ties with Iran, while Russia has close military links to the country.

Both Moscow and Beijing have criticised the US-Israeli war against Iran. AFP