Iran receiving intelligence support from Russia, officials say

Geoff Bennett:

Today, we also learned that Iran is receiving intelligence support from Russia.

Our Nick Schifrin joins us now.

So, Nick, let's start there. What kind of intelligence?

Nick Schifrin:

Two officials with -- who have been briefed on this intelligence tell me that Russia has shared satellite data that provides the real-time movement of American troops since Saturday, since the war began. That confirms a report first in The Washington Post.

The officials say the data includes movement of ships, movement of aircraft as they move into the region, as they move throughout the region. Now, the context for this is Iran's ongoing attacks, attempted attacks on U.S. troops, but also ongoing attacks on U.S. bases and embassies, for example, this drone attack that crashed into the Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, an attack on a tactical operations center in Kuwait on a base.

You see the damage in the bottom right there. That killed six U.S. soldiers in a facility that the soldiers' family members say was not reinforced. An attack like this one on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia that we saw yesterday, close call for the cameraman there.

But I spoke to two former senior intelligence officials and two former senior military officials with extensive knowledge of the region who say let's put this in a little bit of perspective. Iran already has access to commercial satellite data, which is often very good. Iran has already been taking photos of U.S. bases and embassies for many years.

Iran and Russia do not rehearse the sharing of real-time intelligence like this, and that would require networks anyway that the U.S. is trying to take down. And Iran does not need Russian intelligence to attack static targets like those bases, like those embassies.

For example, air defense radars and some of these embassies are actually on Google maps. That said, the intelligence could help if Iran were to target things that are moving, ships that have just arrived, aircrafts that have just arrived.

And a current U.S. official tells me, look, their number one priority is protecting the force. And it would be an understatement to suggest that Russia sharing this intelligence with Iran as it's at war with the United States was a concern.

Geoff Bennett:

Well, what are the political implications of Russia choosing to help Iran in this way?

Nick Schifrin:

Yes, I think that's a really important question, because the former officials I talked to say, regardless of how much this is actually helping Iran target U.S. forces, we have not seen Russia being willing to take the step before, sharing real-time intelligence that could target U.S. troops, and what kind of military-military collaboration long-term that could lead to, whether air defense or Russian political advisers in Iran.

As for the White House today, Karoline Leavitt, the spokesperson of the White House, said this.

Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary:

That clearly is not making a difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them. As I said earlier, we have taken out nearly 30 of their ships. Their navy has been deemed combat-ineffective, 90 percent reduction in ballistic missile retaliatory strikes against the United States and our Gulf Arab and partners in the region.

So, of course, we are achieving the military objectives of this operation and that is going to continue.

Nick Schifrin:

And that's what the military argues, Geoff, that as this war continues, the U.S. is taking out missile and drone capabilities of Iran and so all of those attacks that we have seen on the Gulf on U.S. bases and embassies, those are going way down.

Geoff Bennett:

Nick Schifrin, thanks, as always.

Nick Schifrin:

Thank you.