Reports that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran to target American assets prompted responses from both US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with their reactions generating significant interest.
The Russia-Iran question that annoyed Donald Trump
Donald Trump appeared irritated by the related question he received from a reporter during a White House event late Friday evening. “But can I be honest? Just — I have a lot of respect for you. You’ve always been very nice to me. What a stupid question to ask right now. We’re talking about something else,” he responded to Fox correspondent Pete Doocy.
Pete Hegseth’s position on reports of Russian intelligence sharing with Iran
For his part, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in an interview with CBS, argued that reports claiming Russia is briefing Iran on potential American targets in the Middle East do not cause concern at the White House. “They don’t worry us,” Hegseth stated on the “60 Minutes” program, which is set to air on CBS Sunday (March 8). As he noted, US President Donald Trump “knows who’s talking to whom,” since “we’re tracking everything.” “Anything that shouldn’t be happening is being addressed, and strongly,” he added.
In response to reports that Russia is providing intel to Iran on U.S. positions and movements, Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth told 60 Minutes, “We’re tracking everything. Our commanders are aware of everything… No one’s putting us in danger.”
CBS News’ @MajorCBS interviews Hegseth… pic.twitter.com/FZVJZBdKh1
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) March 6, 2026
The Washington Post report on Russian intelligence to Iran
On Friday (March 6), the Washington Post, citing three anonymous sources, reported that Russia is providing Iran with information about potential American targets in the Middle East, including positions of US warships and aircraft.
The White House attempted to downplay the significance of the report, with Press Secretary Caroline Levitt stating that “this doesn’t really change anything regarding military operations in Iran, because we are in the process of completely decimating them.” “We are achieving the military objectives of this operation and that will continue,” she characteristically told reporters.
It should be noted that earlier in the week, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth had stated that Russia “is not a factor” in the war against Iran. At the same time, the United States is providing intelligence to Ukraine in its war against Russia.
