Russia is playing an indirect but significant role in Iran’s military operations against the United States and Israel, according to U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey, who said Moscow stands to benefit from the escalation due to its ongoing war in Ukraine.

Healey described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “hidden hand” shaping aspects of Iran’s battlefield strategy, arguing that the connection reflects overlapping interests between Moscow and Tehran.

According to reporting by The Guardian, Iran has launched more than 2,000 Shahed drones across the Middle East since the U.S.-Israeli campaign began on February 28. These same drones have been widely used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Healey made the remarks after visiting British military headquarters in northwest London earlier this month, where senior officers briefed him on evolving tactics being used by Iranian drone operators and their regional allies. Officials indicated that these forces appear to be adopting methods previously employed by Russian units.

Lt. Gen. Nick Perry, the U.K.’s chief of joint operations, told Healey that the developments suggest Russia may have shared operational guidance with Iran and its affiliated groups on how to deploy the drones more effectively.

“I think no one will be surprised to believe that Putin’s hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics and potentially, potentially some of their capabilities as well,” Healey said.

He added that Russia’s interest in the conflict is also economic, pointing to the surge in global oil prices.

“the one world leader that is benefiting from sky-high oil prices at the moment is Putin, because it helps him with a fresh supply of funds for his brutal war in Ukraine.”

Earlier this month, the Trump administration temporarily eased sanctions on certain Russian oil shipments in an effort to stabilize energy markets disrupted by the conflict with Iran, despite concerns that such a move could indirectly support Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.

At the same time, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said that Putin denied providing intelligence or assistance to Iran during a recent conversation with President Donald Trump.

Despite those denials, Putin has publicly expressed strong backing for Tehran, offering what officials described as “unwavering support” and congratulating Mojtaba Khamenei after he assumed leadership following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, at the outset of Operation Epic Fury.

Putin has also pledged that Russia will remain a dependable ally of Iran moving forward.

According to Bloomberg, the relationship between the two countries has included years of military cooperation, with Iran supplying assistance for Russia’s war in Ukraine in exchange for access to advanced military knowledge. That cooperation has reportedly intensified in recent months as Iran confronts the United States, Israel, and Gulf countries.

“The lessons learned have been happening throughout the course of the war in Ukraine, but the implications now are here,” Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a former senior U.S. intelligence official now at the Center for a New American Security, told Bloomberg. “We’re seeing it now happen in real time, in a real case.”

{Matzav.com}