Pentagon chief not concerned about Russia sharing intelligence with Iran for attacks on US troops
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that President Donald Trump is fully informed about contact between Russia and Iran amid media reports that Moscow is providing intelligence to Tehran for strikes against American troops in the Middle East.
Source: Hegseth in an interview with CBS News
Quote: "The American people can rest assured their commander-in-chief is well aware of who's talking to who. And anything that shouldn't be happening, whether it's in public or back-channelled, is being confronted and confronted strongly."
Hegseth also said that the US is "tracking everything" and factoring it into battle plans.
Quote: "We're putting the other guys in danger, and that's our job. So we're not concerned about that. […] But the only ones that need to be worried right now are Iranians that think they're gonna live."
Details: According to Hegseth, President Trump has "unique relationships" with many world leaders, which allow him to achieve results that are unavailable to other politicians. Hegseth added that the necessary messages could be delivered to the Russians either directly or through intermediaries.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News that "whether or not this happened, frankly, it doesn't really matter, because President Trump and the United States military are absolutely decimating the rogue Iranian terrorist regime."
Earlier, CBS News and The Washington Post reported that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence on the movements of US forces and the positions of allied troops in the Middle East.
Background:
- The situation in the Middle East escalated on 28 February 2026 after large-scale strikes by the US and Israel on facilities in Iran and those linked to Hezbollah.
- On 3 March, US President Donald Trump said Iran wanted negotiations but that it was already "too late" - only its unconditional surrender is needed.
- Trump also claimed that military operations against Iran could last up to four weeks.
- On 6 March, the media reported that Trump is considering deploying a limited ground contingent to Iran to control nuclear and oil facilities.
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