Russia providing intel to [ran

RUSSIA is providing Iran with targeting information to attack American forces in the Middle East, the first indication that another major US adversary is participating, even indirectly, in the war, according to three officials familiar with the intelligence.

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PROTESTERS carry placards as they march toward the US embassy during a rally condemning the US and Israeli attacks on Iran in Seoul, South Korea on March 5.

(AFP)

The assistance, which has not been previously reported, signals that the rapidly expanding conflict now features one of America’s chief nuclear-armed competitors with exquisite intelligence capabilities.

Since the war began last Saturday, Russia has passed Iran the locations of US military assets, including warships and aircraft, said the three officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “It does seem like it’s a pretty comprehensive effort,” one of the people said.

The Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. Moscow has called for an end to the war, which it labeled an “unprovoked act of armed aggression”.

The extent of Russia’s targeting assistance to Iran was not entirely clear. The Iranian military’s own ability to locate US forces has been degraded less than a week into the fighting, the officials said.

Six US troops were killed and several others were injured by an Iranian drone attack last Sunday in Kuwait. Iran has fired thousands of one-way attack drones and hundreds of missiles at US military positions, embassies and civilians, even as the joint American-Israeli campaign has hit more than 2 000 Iranian targets — including ballistic missile sites, naval assets and the country’s leadership.

“The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed,” said a White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, without commenting on any Russian aid to Iran. “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 CIA and the Pentagon declined to comment.