Russia calls for immediate halt to Iran conflict amid reports of shared intelligence
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to Iran’s president over the numerous civilian casualties resulting from “the armed Israeli-American aggression against Iran” and called for an immediate halt to hostilities, the Kremlin said.
In a phone call late on Friday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Putin expressed his deep condolences over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, members of Khamenei’s family, Iranian political and military leaders and “numerous civilians”.
“Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia’s principled stance in favour of an immediate cessation of hostilities, the rejection of force as a method to solve any issues surrounding Iran or arising in the Middle East, and a swift return to the path of diplomatic resolution,” the Kremlin said.
Putin said he was in constant contact with the leaders of Gulf Cooperation Council member states.
“Masoud Pezeshkian expressed gratitude for Russia’s solidarity with the Iranian people as they defend their sovereignty and the independence of their country. He also provided a detailed update on the developments during the latest active phase of the conflict,” the Kremlin added.
Separately, two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence reported that Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to The Associated Press.
The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the U.S. intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information as the U.S. and “Israel” continue their bombardment, while Iran fires retaliatory salvos at American assets and allies in the Arab Gulf, AP reported.
White House officials downplayed the reports, but did not deny that Russia was sharing intelligence with Iran about U.S. targets in the region. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday told reporters that “it clearly is not making any difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a CBS’ “60 Minutes” interview on Friday said the U.S. is “tracking everything” and factoring it into battle plans, when asked about the reports Russia was aiding Iran.
Asked whether Russia would go beyond political support and offer military assistance to Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there has been no such request from Tehran.
“We are in dialogue with the Iranian side, with representatives of the Iranian leadership, and will certainly continue this dialogue,” he said Friday.
Pushed on whether Moscow has provided any military or intelligence assistance to Tehran since the Iran war’s start, he refrained from comment.
