A Western intelligence official says Russia is helping Iran refine drone warfare methods based on tactics used during the war in Ukraine, raising concerns that those techniques could be deployed against the United States and its allies in the Middle East.

The official, speaking to CNN on the condition of anonymity, said Moscow’s involvement appears to be expanding. What previously consisted of broader intelligence cooperation is now believed to include more direct operational guidance on how to conduct drone attacks.

“What was more general support is now getting more concerning, including UAS targeting strategies that Russia employed in Ukraine,” the official told the outlet on condition of anonymity, referring to unmanned aircraft system.

The concerns center largely on Shahed drones, an Iranian design that Russia has manufactured in large numbers for use in its campaign against Ukraine. According to the report, these drones have performed better than anticipated when confronting air-defense systems used in Gulf countries.

While the intelligence official did not describe the specific methods Russia may be sharing, Moscow has relied on coordinated waves of Shahed drones in Ukraine, launching large numbers simultaneously and often altering their flight paths to complicate interception.

At times, Ukrainian forces have faced massive drone assaults involving more than 1,000 aircraft in a single night.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X Wednesday that “Russia has started supporting the Iranian regime with drones.”

“It will definitely help with missiles, and it is also helping them with air defense,” Zelenskyy said.

CNN has previously reported that Russia provided Iran with satellite imagery gathered from Moscow’s own space-based surveillance network.

It remains unclear what Russia may be receiving from Iran in exchange for the assistance. Russian officials have rejected claims that intelligence cooperation is taking place.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said Tuesday that Russia denied the allegations and that the United States was taking Russia “at their word.”

Ukraine has also taken steps to counter the spread of the drone threat beyond its own battlefield. Officials in Kyiv have dispatched specialists in drone interception to Gulf states in order to help develop defenses against Shahed drones, which are estimated to cost about $30,000 each.

Ukrainian engineers have also created smaller interceptor drones that cost roughly $5,000 and can be manufactured quickly in large quantities.

The growing military cooperation comes as the expanding conflict in the Persian Gulf creates new strategic opportunities for Russian President Vladimir Putin. While Iran has long been an ally of Moscow, the regional instability also allows Russia to shift international attention away from the war in Ukraine while advancing broader geopolitical objectives.

Putin and President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Monday for the first time since December, discussing both the Gulf conflict and the war in Ukraine.

Trump has already suggested he may soften oil sanctions on Russia to help ease global energy prices.

The Western intelligence official also said they were “really concerned” by Iran’s use of mines in the Strait of Hormuz, along with sea-drone attacks and other low-tech assaults using traditional dhow fishing boats against U.S. naval forces.

Iran claimed it had struck the USS Abraham Lincoln early in the conflict, but the United States denied it.

“The Lincoln was not hit,” CENTCOM said on X at the time. “The missiles launched didn’t even come close.”

The intelligence official added that Chinese support for Iran was troubling as well, though they declined to provide further details.

{Matzav.com}