President Donald Trump said Monday that he intends to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin over allegations that Moscow has been supplying Iran with intelligence used to target American military installations in the Middle East. While Trump said he wants to determine whether the claims are accurate, he added that any such assistance has done little to alter the outcome because of the devastating blows inflicted on Iran by recent U.S. military action.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked about reports that Russia may be sharing intelligence with Tehran. He responded that he plans to raise the issue directly with Putin.
“Well, we’ll find out if that’s true,” Trump told reporters Monday on Air Force One. “I’ll ask Putin about it.”
The renewed scrutiny follows remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who announced Saturday that his government intends to provide the Trump administration with evidence it says shows Russia has been assisting Iran through satellite surveillance of U.S. military sites and Gulf nations.
“Since the beginning of July, we have recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of the Gulf states and U.S. military facilities located there,” Zelenskyy said on X.
“These images subsequently appear in Iran. At the same time, there is a clear correlation between Russia’s satellite imagery of these sites and Iranian strikes — both before the attacks, in preparation for them, and afterward, to assess the damage inflicted.”
Trump said that even if Zelenskyy’s allegations prove accurate, the intelligence sharing has had little practical effect because of the extensive damage inflicted on Iran.
If Zelenskyy is right, Trump told reporters, it “hasn’t had much impact because we’ve knocked the hell out of” Iran.
Trump’s latest comments come just days after he publicly downplayed suggestions that Russia or China had been providing meaningful military or intelligence support to Tehran, a position that appeared to differ from testimony offered by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Appearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee last Tuesday, Hegseth acknowledged that there were “ways in which both of those countries” were “enabling” Tehran “at different levels.” When pressed on how “enabling” differed from direct assistance, Trump later dismissed the distinction.
Speaking from the Oval Office last week, Trump said he had received assurances from both Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Putin that they would not become involved.
“Well, I don’t know that they’re enabling. I mean, I will tell you that [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping] said he will not partake, and President Putin said the same thing … I trust them,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
Trump concluded by acknowledging that some limited activity may have occurred but maintained that it has not significantly affected the conflict, adding that he believes neither leader wants to jeopardize America’s confidence in them.
“There could be some things you do, but thus far, at least, [it] has not been major. I don’t think they’d want to have me disappointed,” Trump added.
{Matzav.com}