Western intelligence officials say Russia is aiding Iran in the Ukraine war with advanced drone tactics to attack U.S. and Gulf targets in the Middle East.
The Shahed drone, designed by Iran and mass-produced by Moscow for use in Ukraine, has had unexpected success in penetrating Gulf states’ air defenses. Russia’s intelligence sharing with Iran has previously been reported as general targeting assistance. Specific tactical advice would represent a new level of potentially lethal support.
“What used to be more general assistance, such as the UAS (unmanned aerial vehicle) targeting strategy that Russia has adopted in Ukraine, is now becoming more of a concern,” said the official, who declined to be named discussing sensitive information.
The official did not specify the exact tactical support, but Russia has been using Shahid drones against Ukraine in waves, with multiple drones flying together and periodically changing course to evade air defenses. Ukraine could face more than 1,000 drones overnight.
“Russia has started supporting the Iranian regime with drones. Missiles will definitely help, and we are also supporting air defense,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on X Wednesday. He did not go into specific details about the Russian aid.
CNN reported over the weekend that Russia shared images from Moscow’s sophisticated overhead satellite network with Iran. It is unclear what Russia will get in return for its assistance.
CNN has reached out to the Kremlin for comment. Russia had previously denied sharing intelligence with Iran. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff reiterated Russia’s denials Tuesday, saying the U.S. is taking Russia “at its word.”
Kiev has dispatched drone interception experts to the Gulf region to share Ukrainian expertise in thwarting the relatively inexpensive Shahed, which costs $30,000. Ukraine has developed a small interceptor that costs about $5,000 each and can be produced quickly.
When war broke out in the Gulf region last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin initially appeared to be the loser because Iran is a long-time ally of Russia. But President Putin seizes the opportunity to pursue his primary goal of dismantling an independent Ukraine.
President Putin spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Monday, their first call since December to discuss both the Gulf conflict and the Ukraine conflict. President Trump has already signaled the possibility of easing oil sanctions on Russia to help lower global energy prices.
Turning to broader threats in the Gulf, Western intelligence officials said they were “really concerned” about Iran’s use of mines in the Strait of Hormuz and low-tech attacks using maritime drones and traditional dhows targeting U.S. carrier strike groups there. Iran claimed to have attacked the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln at the start of the war, a claim denied by the United States. At the time, CENTCOM stated on X that “the Lincoln was not attacked.” “The missiles fired didn’t even come close.”
Western officials said China’s support for Iran was “concerning” but gave no details. China has condemned the US and Israeli attacks on Iran as unacceptable, but has not publicly indicated any intention to support its allies militarily.
Nathan Hodge, Natasha Bertrand, Jim Sciutto, Zachary Cohen, Jennifer Hansler, and Anna Chernova contributed reporting.
