Hezbollah, Iran unleash coordinated cluster bomb strikes on Israel in major escalation
Hezbollah and Iran launched a coordinated strike strategy Tuesday, a national security expert claimed, as reports emerged that deadly cluster munitions were hitting Israel in synchronized attacks.
The developments unfolded on day 11 of Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign targeting Iran, marking a potential escalation in the widening regional conflict.
“Hezbollah has fully joined the war, and it looks like they are now very well coordinated with Iran,” Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital while speaking from his bomb shelter near Tel Aviv.
“Most of Hezbollah’s rockets and drones are launched simultaneously with the Iranian missiles,” he said.
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Israel confirmed Tuesday that Iran had been firing cluster munitions — adding a complicated and deadly challenge to Israel’s stretched air defenses, The Associated Press reported.
The warheads burst open at high altitudes, scattering dozens of smaller bomblets across a wide area. The smaller bombs, which at night can resemble orange fireballs, are difficult to intercept and have proven lethal.
Fox News correspondent Nate Foy also said despite Israel’s strong air defense, half of the missiles are hard to defend against because half of the missiles are cluster munitions.
“The Iranian use of cluster missiles and the idea that they deliberately target civilians and civil facilities must be considered as a use of non-conventional weapons, and the American-Israeli response must be appropriate,” Michael urged.
Banned by more than 120 nations under the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, the weapons are widely condemned for their broad-area, indiscriminate effects that often result in catastrophic civilian harm.
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Michael spoke as Reuters reported Hezbollah was applying lessons from its last war with Israel as it prepares for a possible full-scale Israeli invasion and protracted conflict.
It said sources claimed the group was returning to its roots in guerrilla warfare in south Lebanon.
“Operating in small units, fighters from the Iran-backed group are avoiding the use of communication devices that could be at risk of Israeli tapping and are rationing the use of key anti-tank rockets as they engage Israeli troops,” said the sources, familiar with Hezbollah military activities.
Michael also said that the “north of the country, toward the Haifa area, is under heavy bombing.”
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“Israeli citizens have to spend most of the time in the shelter rooms as Hezbollah and Iran deliberately target civilians and civilian facilities,” he said.
“Tel Aviv is still under an emergency routine, with sirens continuing and many people spending a lot of time in the bomb shelter rooms,” he added before highlighting that “Israel is a small country and will not be able to continue containing such asymmetry and this type of attrition war.”
As of Tuesday night local time, the IDF said it had launched a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
This came after the military reiterated its warning to evacuate the area, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh.
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In a post shared on X, the IDF said: “This is what we’re operating against.”
Reuters sources also claimed much of Hezbollah’s fighting on the ground had been focused so far near the town of Khiyam, near the intersection of Lebanon’s border with Israel and Syria.
This is one area where Hezbollah believes any Israeli land invasion could begin. Hezbollah’s elite Radwan fighters, who withdrew from the south following the 2024 ceasefire, had also returned to the area, it said.
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“Israel will no doubt take control over a wide territory in south Lebanon, from the international border to the Litani River, in order to establish a security buffer zone,” Michael said.
“This will prevent Hezbollah from attacking the Israeli villages and towns in the north of the country and will intensify the attacks against Hezbollah all over Lebanon,” Michael added.
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“We hope that President Trump will not stop or use the formula he used with the Houthis, declaring victory and leaving the wounded lion incapable of revenge and/or reconstituting itself.”
Meanwhile, an Israeli military official, speaking anonymously under army briefing rules, said Tuesday that roughly half of the projectiles Iran was launching toward Israel were now cluster bombs, The Associated Press said.
Lethal elite ‘black-clad’ kill squad guards Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei
An elite counterterrorism unit has been deployed to protect Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Fox News Digital has learned.
The force, known as NOPO — Iran’s black-clad Counterterrorism Special Force — was assigned to safeguard the leader after a U.S.-Israel strike on a Tehran compound on Feb. 28 killed the elder Khamenei amid the start of Operation Epic Fury.
“With Khamenei gone, NOPO will likely now be protecting Mojtaba Khamenei,” Ali Safavi, an official with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, or NCRI said.
The NOPO force, formed in 1991, had the 28th Ruhollah (Khomeini’s first name) Division as its “nucleus”, according to Safavi, and typically handles hostage rescue operations. “Its task was not to protect Khamenei,” he added.
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The history of the unit also includes deployments against internal security threats, and it has often been called on to suppress protests.
Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected Mojtaba Khamenei on March 8, 2026, elevating him as the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.
His succession comes amid ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel, but so far, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been heard from since the start of the conflict.
According to The Times of Israel, Iranian state television reported that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the war, with the reports yet unconfirmed.
“NOPO is the Farsi acronym for Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, which translates into the Special Force to Protect the Supreme Leader,” Safavi further explained before clarifying that “Velayat is not necessarily the supreme leader, but the entirety of the regime.”
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Over time, NOPO has evolved into a highly specialized unit distinct from the broader Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military branch established in 1979 to defend the Islamic Republic and its leadership from internal and external threats.
“The NOPO is composed of six brigades only. Four are stationed in Tehran, one in Mashhad and one in Isfahan,” Safavi said.
“They are far more lethal, ruthless and well-trained than the IRGC,” he claimed before describing how the brigade’s loyalty was to the Supreme Leader.
“This force was used for the protection of Khamenei,” Safavi continued. “They are very well-equipped. Khamenei did not trust any other security force for his protection.”
Safavi also said some members of the unit were likely killed in Ali Khamenei’s assassination but that the force remains fully operational.
“Some of the NOPO could have been killed when Khamenei was killed, but the fact is that they are now involved in the suppressive and security measures the regime has also undertaken in recent days to prevent any outbreak of protests,” Safavi said.
The elite force’s activities extend beyond personal protection in times of crisis, Safavi added.
KHAMENEI’S DEATH OPENS UNCERTAIN CHAPTER FOR IRAN’S ENTRENCHED THEOCRACY
“But in times of crisis, such as what happened during the January uprising, they were heavily involved in opening fire on the protesters,” he said.
This comes amid reports that hundreds of NOPO members have also been widely deployed around prisons in Iran that are holding political detainees.
“Hundreds of suppressive forces are widely deployed around the prison. In Ghezel Hesar Prison,” the NCRI said in a statement.
On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, following the bombing of a military center near Mahabad Prison, prisoners whose ward doors had been locked protested and set fire to their blankets, demanding their release under wartime conditions.
“Suppressive forces responded by firing tear gas into the ward,” the NCRI reported.
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Reports also indicated NOPO had taken control of Evin Prison in Tehran following the flight of regular prison officials amid intensified conflict.
In 2021, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on NOPO for its part in committing “serious human rights abuses against persons in Iran or Iranian citizens or residents, or the family members of the foregoing.”
Top Iranian cybercriminal on FBI most wanted list reportedly killed in US-Israeli strike
A top Iranian hacker long wanted by the FBI was killed last week following a joint Israeli strike on Iran, according to an Iranian media outlet.
Mohammad Mehdi Farhadi Ramin, an Iranian man accused of stealing the identities of American citizens and accessing national security data, died in the city of Hamadan, Iran International said, adding that his funeral was held on Monday.
Farhadi had been wanted by U.S. authorities since 2020 for his “alleged involvement in malicious cyber activity” dating back to at least 2013, according to the FBI.
Among his alleged crimes, Farhadi reportedly targeted companies, universities, U.S. defense contractors, and nonprofits to access sensitive data. Authorities say he also stole credit card information and Social Security numbers belonging to U.S. citizens to fund illicit activities, while marketing some of the stolen data on the black market.
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Ramin was first indicted on Sept. 15, 2020, by a federal grand jury in Newark, New Jersey, for his alleged involvement in a massive, coordinated cyber intrusion campaign on behalf of the Iranian government.
Ramin and a co‑defendant reportedly vandalized websites with ideological messaging meant to project Iranian influence, including images of burning Israeli flags and threats that appeared to “signal the demise” of countries viewed as rivals to Iran, including the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia.
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“They brazenly infiltrated computer systems and targeted intellectual property and often sought to intimidate perceived enemies of Iran, including dissidents fighting for human rights in Iran and around the world,” the Justice Department previously said.
“This conduct threatens our national security, and as a result, these defendants are wanted by the FBI and are considered fugitives from justice.”
Authorities alleged that the suspect also compromised email accounts by creating hidden automated forwarding rules that secretly sent all incoming and outgoing emails directly to him and his co-conspirators.
Officials emphasized that these actions allowed Iran to access a massive volume of stolen information, including hundreds of terabytes of data related to national security, foreign policy, civilian nuclear research, aerospace and unpublished scientific studies.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Pentagon for more information.
US strike on key Iran oil hub would fit Trump’s ‘energy dominance doctrine,’ expert says
Kharg Island, which handles the bulk of Iran’s crude exports and was once floated by President Donald Trump as a potential target could spark broader regional instability and attacks on energy infrastructure if struck by the U.S., a leading energy security expert has warned.
Reports indicate the Trump administration is weighing options that could include a direct attack on Kharg Island.
Discussing the possibility of boots on the ground amid Operation Epic Fury on “The Claman Countdown,” retired Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt also told Liz Claman striking Kharg could be in the “offing.”
“I don’t think a significant number of boots on the ground, other than the chance of an assault on Kharg Island, is in the offing,” he said March 9.
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Trump’s interest in the island dates back to a 1988 interview in which he reportedly suggested targeting Kharg in response to Iranian aggression, according to reports.
“I’d be harsh on Iran. They’ve been beating us psychologically, making us look like a bunch of fools,” Trump said. “One bullet shot at one of our men or ships, and I’d do a number on Kharg Island. I’d go in and take it.”
Sara Vakhshouri, a global energy analyst, said striking Kharg aligns squarely with Washington’s “energy dominance” doctrine and spoke as U.S. and Israeli military action in Iran rattles energy markets and disrupts oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Kharg currently acts as a strategic restraint point in the conflict,” Vakhshouri, founder and president of SVB Energy International, told Fox News Digital.
“Interrupting Iran’s main export terminal would likely trigger a major oil price spike, market instability and regional retaliation against energy infrastructure.”
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Kharg’s significance is not only tactical but strategic, she added, arguing that it fits squarely within Trump’s long-touted doctrine.
The policy, central to Trump’s first term, prioritized maximizing U.S. oil and gas production, expanding exports and leveraging U.S. energy strength as a geopolitical tool.
“But when we talk about Kharg, the most important factor is that it fits within the U.S. energy dominance concept,” Vakhshouri said, suggesting that holding the island in reserve as a pressure point — rather than immediately striking it — may be a more strategic option.
Kharg sits in the northern Persian Gulf, roughly 15 miles off Iran’s mainland. Tankers leaving the terminal pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow choke point that handles about one-fifth of global oil trade.
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Around 90% to 95% of Iran’s crude and petroleum exports pass through Kharg, making it the regime’s primary oil revenue hub.
“Roughly 15 to 20 million barrels may be in storage, with around 1.5 to 3 million barrels per day exported through the terminal during the sanctions, with export capacity up to 5 million barrels per day,” Vakhshouri said.
“If the export capability from Kharg were lost, this restraint could diminish, shifting the risk toward further strikes on regional energy facilities and, more importantly, prolonged disruption of oil flows and tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz,” she warned.
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“Putting a price ceiling on such a scenario would depend largely on Iran’s retaliatory actions,” Vakhshouri added.
“The certain outcome, however, would be prolonged volatility and uncertainty in the market, driven by fears of further retaliation or an extended cycle of disruption.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Putin caught executing enormous ‘semi-dark’ ship-to-ship oil transfer in Gulf of Oman
Russia has turned to its so-called “shadow fleet” to carry out a roughly $29.3 million “semi-dark” ship-to-ship oil transfer in the Gulf of Oman, deliberately sidestepping Western sanctions, according to reports.
Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI reported on March 8 that the Russian-flagged tanker M/V TRUST, a vessel already blacklisted by the U.S., European Union and United Kingdom, carried out a “high-probability” covert crude transfer in Omani territorial waters.
Based on an estimated price of about $90 per barrel on March 10, the cargo involved in the transfer was valued at roughly $29.3 million.
“The timing of the operation coincided with heightened military escalation in the Gulf following Operation Epic Fury, suggesting the vessel exploited regional instability to conduct the transfer under reduced scrutiny,” Windward said.
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The tanker had previously loaded approximately 325,000 barrels of Russian crude oil at the Russian port of Ust-Luga, Windward said.
Windward described the operation as a “semi-dark” activity, meaning one of the vessels transmitted its automatic identification system (AIS) signal while the other did not.
According to the firm, the M/V TRUST had anchored and switched off its AIS transponder while holding what it called a “prolonged stationary meeting” with another tanker, likely producing an anonymous vessel to transfer cargo process.
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A fully “dark” meeting, Windward said, typically involves two vessels not transmitting, but, in this case, only one ship appeared to be broadcasting, creating partial visibility that still complicates tracking efforts.
Such tactics are part of a broader strategy by Moscow to continue exporting crude despite sweeping Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The semi-dark oil transfer comes amid heightened volatility in global energy markets tied to the escalating conflict in the Middle East and limited traffic in the Strait of Hormuz given the joint U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran.
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Oil topped $100 a barrel March 9 as traders priced in the risk that the conflict was disrupting flows through the Strait, which carries about a fifth of global supply, CNBC reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on March 9 that Russia, the world’s second-largest oil exporter and holder of the largest natural gas reserves, stands ready to resume long-term energy cooperation with European customers if they choose to return, Reuters reported.
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Meanwhile, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Russia “should not be involved” in the escalating conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran.
His comments followed reports suggesting Moscow may be providing intelligence support to Tehran, though the Kremlin has not publicly confirmed the claims.
On Russia’s ship-to-ship semi-dark cargo transfer amid the ongoing conflict, Windward highlighted “operational blind spots that enable illicit maritime activity to proceed largely uninterrupted.”
Stranded American in Bahrain recounts surviving reported Iranian strike on high-rise building, pleads for help
As the conflict between the United States and Iran enters its second week, flight cancellations and airport closures have rippled across Middle Eastern airspace, leaving many Americans abroad scrambling to find a way home.
Stranded American citizen Yahir, who was in Bahrain when the conflict erupted, told Fox News Digital he had a close call over the weekend when an alleged Iranian drone slammed into the lower floors of a high-rise building where he was staying. The building was a luxury residential tower that reportedly housed many American tourists and U.S. Navy personnel likely stationed with the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquartered near the capital, Manama.
Yahir, from Los Angeles, said despite witnessing terrifying scenes of the conflict and experiencing one firsthand, he is still waiting for help getting home, claiming local U.S. embassies and State Department officials have put him through a maze of logistical hurdles with no clear next steps.
“Two days ago, my building was hit,” Yahir said, referring to Fontana Infinity, located in Manama. “I was in the building at the time and, of course, the whole building shook. It felt like an earthquake.”
STATE DEPARTMENT GIVES UPDATES ON AMERICANS FLEEING MIDDLE EAST
“It was a shock, but it makes sense because everyone living there was American besides a few Russians here and there, but Fontana was full of American Navy,” he added.
Yahir added that he has witnessed horrific scenes of Iranian drones and missiles striking not only military targets but also civilian areas, triggering powerful explosions and sending massive plumes of smoke billowing into the air.
“We saw right in front of our faces, the drone hitting it,” Yahir said, describing the moment he witnessed a building being struck. “I remember everyone around there was crying. They were evacuating all the buildings. People were crying. It felt really devastating.”
Blasts have reportedly become a daily occurrence, some feeling like earthquakes that would violently shake nearby areas.
“The interceptors were hitting the missile and the ground shaking. You’ll feel that every day at this point,” he said. “It’s been literally every day.”
The chaos in the region has reportedly led to residents receiving numerous daily alerts of incoming missiles on their phones. Each warning forces civilians to take immediate shelter, Yahir said, recalling one instance when he had to shelter in a basement of a well-known mall, The Avenues, for more than an hour.
“At this point, I’m thinking I even get them when I’m sleeping, and it wakes me up,” he said. “I feel like over ten times a day we get those alerts.”
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The ongoing missile strikes have profoundly affected daily life in Bahrain, turning once-bustling areas into virtual “ghost towns.”
Yahir said his friends have stopped going to work, and shops are either fully closed or closing far earlier than usual.
He added that the heightened security presence is palpable across the country, with police stationed on nearly every corner and large military vehicles patrolling the streets daily.
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Yahir further expressed deep frustration with the local U.S. Embassy, saying there has been little government assistance and describing the overall experience as “terrible.”
When inquiring about evacuation flights, calls to the embassy often triggered an automated message stating that citizens should not expect help from the U.S. government and that the embassies cannot assist with anything, according to Yahir.
“I feel like they need to focus on the embassies around the world because I feel they’re useless to Americans. They don’t help us at all,” Yahir said. “I just want to go home.”
Despite submitting a crisis intake form shared by the State Department, he has received few updates on evacuation plans. The delays and lack of clear communication, he said, have left him feeling stranded and anxious with no concrete plan for returning home.
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Over 40,000 American citizens have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East since Feb. 28, the State Department told Fox News Digital Tuesday. A spokesperson noted that U.S. authorities directly assisted over 27,000 of those Americans abroad by offering travel assistance and other security guidance.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio’s leadership, the Department of State has completed over two dozen charter flights and has safely evacuated thousands of Americans from the Middle East,” the department said. “The State Department will continue to actively assist any American citizen who wishes to depart the Middle East to do so.”
American citizens stranded in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel are urged to complete the Crisis Intake Form on the State Department website or call +1-202-501-4444.
Ex-Navy SEAL warns withdrawing from Iran now would hand ‘victory’ to regime
A former Navy SEAL warned Tuesday that halting U.S. action in Iran now would hand a victory to the regime, arguing Tehran would quickly reconstitute its offensive capabilities.
“You can’t stop now. If we were to stop now, it’s a victory for the regime. They would only be more empowered… They’d go back to building more missiles, get back on their nuclear program,” retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward said on “The Faulkner Focus.”
Harward’s warning comes as oil prices surge and some congressional lawmakers call for an end to the war.
“We need a government in Iran that will not pursue those offensive capabilities and be a threat to their partners and us in the region,” he said. “And so we’ve got to stay in the fight ’til we accomplish that.”
Harward, who was a member of George W. Bush’s National Security Council and served in Iraq and Afghanistan, predicted the “short-term pain” of surging gas prices and that threats from Iran wouldn’t last long.
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The next step, he said, is to focus on how Iran’s new government will act after an “unprecedented destruction of military power” of both the regime and its proxies, like Hezbollah.
Harward expressed surprise at Lebanon’s recent declaration that offensive operations conducted by Hezbollah are illegal, meaning Lebanon’s government positioned itself against the Iranian regime.
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“They’ve turned on Hezbollah as well, which is a challenge in Beirut itself. So I think all fronts are coalescing in this fight against Iran and their surrogates,” Harward said.
Hezbollah is an Iran-backed terrorist group that operates primarily out of Lebanon and has long been in conflict with the country’s government.
Harward touted the progress made since Operation Epic Fury began and the scale of U.S. military might in the Middle East.
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“[It] makes you very proud to be an American and proud of the investment in our armed forces and the people who serve. They’re willing to put their lives at risk for long-term peace, security and stability. And that’s the end objective here,” he said.
Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, 2026, as a military campaign led by the United States and Israel against the Iranian regime, aiming to systematically dismantle Iran’s military infrastructure and prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Israel commends ‘courage’ of Iranian women’s soccer team as five players granted asylum in Australia
Israel’s Foreign Ministry praised members of Iran’s women’s national soccer team after they appeared to take a political stance by remaining silent during their country’s national anthem at the Women’s Asian Cup. The show of support comes as five players have secured asylum in Australia, while uncertainty surrounds the remaining 21 team members.
In a message posted on X, Israel commended the women on their “courage,” adding that the “world is watching.”
“Sometimes courage is silence,” the post on X read. “To the women of Iran’s national [soccer] team, who refused to sing the regime’s anthem, we applaud your courage! Stay safe. The world is watching.”
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The post included a photo with a similar message that read, “To the brave Iranian women of the national team, the world sees your courage.”
The situation involving the Iranian women’s soccer team began after the squad arrived in Australia for the tournament last month. The team was already there when the U.S. launched a joint military operation with Israel against Iran.
In the team’s opening match against South Korea, the squad stood silent during the national anthem as Iranian head coach Marziyeh Jafari, also silent, smiled at her team. The silence was interpreted by some as an act of resistance. But in the following match against Australia and the subsequent match that led to their elimination, the team sang along and saluted during the national anthem.
Concern for the team after the tournament prompted the Australian Iranian Council to launch an online petition urging Australian authorities to “ensure that no member of Iran’s women’s national football team is to depart Australia while credible fears for their safety remain.”
21 IRANIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER PLAYERS WEIGH RETURN HOME AFTER 5 GRANTED ASYLUM
President Donald Trump also weighed in, stating that the U.S. would “take them” if Australia did not grant them asylum.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced on Tuesday that five women were transported from their hotel in Gold Coast “to a safe location” by federal police officers where they later met with him and began the processing for their humanitarian visas.
“I say to the other members of the team the same opportunity is there,” he said. “Australia has taken the Iranian women’s soccer team into our hearts.”
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The women granted asylum were happy for their names and pictures to be published, Burke said, but added that the players wanted to make clear that they were “not political activists.”
Protesters attempted to stop the team bus from leaving on Tuesday outside the hotel they were staying. The remaining members of the team and coaches flew to Sydney Airport, where police evicted protesters from the international terminal before the team boarded an international flight to Kuala Lumpur, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Hegseth warns Russia as signs point to Moscow sharing intel with Iran
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Russia “should not be involved” in the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, even as analysts point to Russian military activity that aligns with reports Moscow may be aiding Tehran.
“The president maintains strong relationships with world leaders, which creates opportunities and options for us in very dynamic ways,” Hegseth said when asked about President Donald Trump’s recent call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But as it relates to the Middle East conflict, he added, Russia “should not be involved.”
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The administration’s messaging comes amid reports that Russia has provided information that could help Iran identify U.S. military assets in the Middle East. Moscow has not publicly confirmed the claims.
Intelligence assessments have reportedly said Russia provided Iran with information that could help identify the locations of American warships, aircraft and other military assets. Officials reportedly stressed there is no public evidence that Moscow is directing Iranian strikes, but said the information could assist Tehran’s targeting efforts.
The scope, timing and operational impact of that information have not been publicly detailed.
While there is no public evidence definitively proving Russia is providing real-time targeting data, George Barros, a Russia expert at the Institute for the Study of War, said open-source indicators are consistent with the type of support described in the reports.
Barros pointed to Russian military reconnaissance satellites, including Cosmos-2550, a radar and electronic signature spacecraft that recently passed over the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea — areas where U.S. forces have been operating.
“They’re specialized for naval reconnaissance and detecting ships, because the radar signature off the water really pings it quite well,” Barros said. “These are known capabilities of the Russians.”
Such radar systems can detect maritime targets and electronic emissions that reveal force positioning. Barros said those capabilities align with known gaps in Iran’s own space-based intelligence collection.
Although he cautioned that he does not have dispositive proof of real-time targeting support, Barros said the convergence of Russian reconnaissance capabilities, satellite positioning and reported cooperation “makes total sense.”
Trump on Monday described his recent conversation with Putin as “very good” and “constructive,” saying the Russian leader “wants to be very constructive.” Trump suggested Moscow could be more helpful by helping bring the war in Ukraine to an end.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, acknowledged over the weekend that Russia is assisting Iran “in many different directions” in its war with the United States and Israel. Pressed on whether that includes intelligence sharing, Araghchi said, “They are helping us in many different directions,” but added, “I don’t have any detailed information.”
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Beyond intelligence collection, analysts say battlefield patterns suggest tactical cross-pollination between Russia and Iran.
During the war in Ukraine, Iran supplied Russia with Shahed one-way attack drones, which Moscow deployed extensively against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Over time, Russian forces refined strike packages combining drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles to overwhelm integrated Western air defense systems.
“The Russians got really, really good at learning how to launch drones against integrated Western air defense systems,” Barros said.
Those lessons, he said, appear to have informed Iranian strike tactics in the Middle East, where Tehran has launched large-scale combined missile and drone attacks against U.S. and allied targets.
If confirmed, Barros argued, intelligence sharing that materially supports Iranian targeting would amount to Moscow acting as a “co-belligerent.”
“The Russians are coming out with Iran as a co-belligerent,” he said, adding that the Kremlin has long viewed the United States as a geopolitical adversary.
At the same time, Russia remains constrained in how far it can go.
Russian ground forces are tied down in Ukraine and are not in a position to deploy to assist Iran. Analysts say any Russian support is far more likely to come in the form of intelligence sharing, technology transfers or drone production rather than boots on the ground.
One potential avenue involves drone manufacturing.
Russia operates large-scale Shahed-derived drone production facilities that were initially enabled by Iranian technology transfers. If Iran’s domestic drone factories are degraded by strikes, Russian production could theoretically help sustain Tehran’s aerial campaign, though there is no confirmed evidence that such transfers are occurring.
Defense officials have publicly downplayed the operational impact of any reported Russian assistance, saying U.S. commanders are tracking foreign intelligence activity and factoring it into planning.
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The contrast between Trump’s characterization of Putin as “constructive” and Hegseth’s warning that Russia should stay out of the conflict underscores the delicate balance the administration is attempting to strike — pursuing diplomacy in Ukraine while confronting the possibility of deeper cooperation between Moscow and Tehran in the Middle East.
For now, analysts say the evidence stops short of conclusive proof. But the alignment of Russian reconnaissance capabilities, battlefield tactics refined in Ukraine and Tehran’s own acknowledgment of assistance has intensified scrutiny of Moscow’s role as the regional war unfolds.
Russia has not publicly responded to the allegation of intelligence sharing with Iran, but has broadly called for de-escalation of the conflict.
The Russian embassy could not immediately be reached for comment.