Vladimir Putin has quietly stabbed President Donald Trump in the back by offering “comprehensive” support to Iran in its war with the U.S., insiders have claimed.
Trump rolled out the red carpet for the Russian president in August, and relations between Washington and Moscow seemed warmer after the summit in Alaska. A photograph of the 79-year-old president walking side-by-side with the dictator also hangs prominently in the White House.
But now, The Washington Post reports, Trump’s man has turned on him.
The Kremlin, according to three officials familiar with the intelligence, is providing Iran with targeting information to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East. The assistance marks the first indication that another major American adversary is participating—even indirectly—in the conflict that Trump launched with a wave of strikes last weekend.
Moscow has publicly called for an end to the war, labeling it an “unprovoked act of armed aggression,” but behind the scenes officials have reportedly been passing Iran the locations of U.S. military assets, including warships and aircraft, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “It does seem like it’s a pretty comprehensive effort,” one of the sources said.
It comes after reports suggested that Putin’s aides laugh at how gullible Trump is. The Spectator reported that British spies have repeatedly shared with their U.S. counterparts intercepted calls and texts between ranking Kremlin officials, ridden with laughter at what they perceive as Trump’s willingness to take Putin at his word, mainly regarding his invasion of Ukraine.
Now, Trump has to wrestle with the fact that Russian intelligence is helping sustain some of Iran’s strikes on targets, especially after Tehran’s own ability to locate American forces degraded less than a week into the fighting.
Iran has fired thousands of one-way attack drones and hundreds of missiles at U.S. military positions, embassies, and civilians. Six U.S. troops were killed after a strike in Kuwait.
When reached for comment by the Post, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly ignored the reports on Russian meddling. “The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed,” she said. “Their ballistic missile retaliation is decreasing every day, their navy is being wiped out, their production capacity is being demolished, and proxies are hardly putting up a fight.”
The joint American-Israeli campaign has struck more than 2,000 Iranian targets, including ballistic missile sites, naval assets, and leadership facilities.
The intelligence revelations also cut against the public posture taken by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who downplayed the involvement of other global powers. Asked about Russia and China—two of Iran’s most powerful backers—Hegseth said he did not have a message for them and added that “they’re not really a factor here.”
Two officials familiar with the intelligence said China does not appear to be aiding Iran’s defense despite close ties between the countries.
Dara Massicot, an expert on the Russian military at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Iran has been hitting critical infrastructure with notable accuracy. “They’re making very precise hits on early warning radars or over-the-horizon radars,” Massicot said. “They’re doing this in a very targeted way. They’re going after command and control.”
Iran has been a key supporter of Russia’s war in Ukraine, providing technology for the cheap one-way attack drones that have repeatedly struck Ukrainian cities.
“The Russians are more than aware of the assistance that we’re giving the Ukrainians,” one of the officials said. “I think they were very happy to try to get some payback.”
Ukraine has come out in support of the U.S., despite public floggings by the Trump administration. On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the United States is seeking Kyiv’s assistance in defending against Iranian drones.
“I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security,” he wrote on X, agreeing to help.
