US intelligence: China may provide financial and military support to Iran and Russia provide Iran with intelligence on US forces
China may be preparing to support Iran with financial aid, spare parts and missile components, according to three people familiar with US intelligence reports.
Beijing is heavily dependent on Iranian oil and has so far stayed out of the Middle East conflict, but its following developments closely.
It has reportedly been pressuring Tehran to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
According to sources, China is cautious in its support for Tehran, adding that China is more cautious in its support, it wants the war to end because it threatens the energy supplies it depends on.
Meanwhile, intelligence reports indicate that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence information about the locations and movements of US troops, ships and aircraft in the region, which is the first indication that Moscow is trying to engage in the ongoing war.
According to people familiar with US intelligence reports, much of the information Moscow has provided to Tehran is based on images taken by Russia’s sophisticated military satellite system.
It’s not yet clear though, what Russia receives in return for this assistance, and it’s not certain whether any specific Iranian attacks were carried out based on Russian targeting information.
Several Iranian drones have reportedly targeted locations where US forces have been present in recent days.
Commenting on the issue, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that Russia and China aren’t a major factor in the war with Iran at the moment.
Reports confirm that military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran has been going on for several years, especially in the field of missile and drone technologies.
Iran has supplied Russia with Shahed drones and short-range ballistic missiles for use in the war in Ukraine, and has contributed to the establishment of a large factory inside Russia to produce Iranian-designed drones.
In return, Tehran has sought Russian support to bolster its nuclear program.
According to intelligence reports, Russia is providing Iran with information to target the locations of US warships and aircraft in the Middle East.
Russia’s support for Iran has not been entirely clear, but the Iranian military’s ability to locate US troops has declined since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Tehran last week.
The White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement that the Iranian regime is being completely crushed, their retaliation with ballistic missiles is diminishing day by day, their naval fleet is being wiped out, their production capacity is being destroyed, and their proxies are barely resisting.
As the war in Iran enters its seventh day, the Kremlin said on Friday that Russia was holding a dialogue with representatives of the Iranian leadership.
The Kremlin declined to provide further details when asked by reporters whether Moscow was helping Tehran.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was maintaining dialogue with Iran’s leadership and intended to continue it.
Commenting on Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s remarks, Peskov said during a media briefing that Russia and China are helping the country in political or other ways: “We’re conducting dialogue with the Iranian side, we are in contact with representatives of the Iranian leadership, and we will definitely continue this dialogue,” without clarifying whether there is military-technical cooperation between the two countries.
