WSJ Doubles Down on Report Russia Is Sharing Intel With Iran, as Kremlin Cries ‘Fake News’

(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)

Russia has been sharing satellite intelligence and advanced drone technology with Iran to aid its targeting of U.S. and allied military assets in the Middle East, according to an exclusive report in the Wall Street Journal, a claim the Kremlin swiftly dismissed as “fake news.”

The allegations, published by the WSJ on Wednesday, describe an expanding military and intelligence relationship between Moscow and Tehran amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and the U.S.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the report says Russia has been providing Iran with satellite imagery and technological improvements for the Iranian-designed Shahed drones that both countries have deployed in recent conflicts. The technology reportedly includes components designed to improve drone communication, navigation, and targeting.

Russia has also shared battlefield experience from its war in Ukraine, offering guidance on drone tactics such as how many drones to deploy in coordinated strikes and at what altitudes they should fly, according to the report.

The assistance is intended to help Iran counter U.S. and Israeli military power while prolonging a conflict that has strategic and economic benefits for Moscow, the WSJ reported.

The intelligence sharing reportedly includes the locations of U.S. military forces and allied assets across the Middle East. Two sources told the newspaper that Moscow has recently provided Tehran with satellite imagery directly from a fleet of military reconnaissance satellites operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces.

Such data could give Iranian forces detailed insight into troop movements and military infrastructure, improving their ability to select targets and assess damage after attacks.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the Wall Street Journal’s report as “fake news” on Wednesday in a comment to Reuters.

The WSJ report comes days after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff addressed initial reports in The Washington Post that Russia had shared intelligence with Tehran.

During a CNBC interview on March 10, Witkoff appeared content with Russian officials’ denial of the allegations in a call with U.S. negotiators.

“We can take them at their word,” he said, adding that Jared Kushner had heard the same assurances on a similar call, before warning: “But let’s hope that they’re not sharing.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, likewise, snubbed the initial reports, remarking the claim “does not really matter.”

Despite the denial, the report highlights the deepening relationship between Moscow and Tehran since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Iran has supplied Russia with thousands of Shahed drones used on Ukrainian battlefields, while the two countries have increased military cooperation, training exchanges, and defense technology collaboration.

Ukraine says Russia has launched more than 57,000 Shahed-type drones since the start of the war, technology that Moscow is believed to be refining and sharing back with Tehran.

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