A Western intelligence official says Russia is helping Iran refine drone warfare methods based on tactics used during the war in Ukraine, raising concerns that those techniques could be deployed against the United States and its allies in the Middle East.
The official, speaking to CNN on the condition of anonymity, said Moscow’s involvement appears to be expanding. What previously consisted of broader intelligence cooperation is now believed to include more direct operational guidance on how to conduct drone attacks.
“What was more general support is now getting more concerning, including UAS targeting strategies that Russia employed in Ukraine,” the official told the outlet on condition of anonymity, referring to unmanned aircraft system.
The concerns center largely on Shahed drones, an Iranian design that Russia has manufactured in large numbers for use in its campaign against Ukraine. According to the report, these drones have performed better than anticipated when confronting air-defense systems used in Gulf countries.
While the intelligence official did not describe the specific methods Russia may be sharing, Moscow has relied on coordinated waves of Shahed drones in Ukraine, launching large numbers simultaneously and often altering their flight paths to complicate interception.
At times, Ukrainian forces have faced massive drone assaults involving more than 1,000 aircraft in a single night.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X Wednesday that “Russia has started supporting the Iranian regime with drones.”
“It will definitely help with missiles, and it is also helping them with air defense,” Zelenskyy said.
CNN has previously reported that Russia provided Iran with satellite imagery gathered from Moscow’s own space-based surveillance network.
It remains unclear what Russia may be receiving from Iran in exchange for the assistance. Russian officials have rejected claims that intelligence cooperation is taking place.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said Tuesday that Russia denied the allegations and that the United States was taking Russia “at their word.”
Ukraine has also taken steps to counter the spread of the drone threat beyond its own battlefield. Officials in Kyiv have dispatched specialists in drone interception to Gulf states in order to help develop defenses against Shahed drones, which are estimated to cost about $30,000 each.
Ukrainian engineers have also created smaller interceptor drones that cost roughly $5,000 and can be manufactured quickly in large quantities.
The growing military cooperation comes as the expanding conflict in the Persian Gulf creates new strategic opportunities for Russian President Vladimir Putin. While Iran has long been an ally of Moscow, the regional instability also allows Russia to shift international attention away from the war in Ukraine while advancing broader geopolitical objectives.
Putin and President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Monday for the first time since December, discussing both the Gulf conflict and the war in Ukraine.
Trump has already suggested he may soften oil sanctions on Russia to help ease global energy prices.
The Western intelligence official also said they were “really concerned” by Iran’s use of mines in the Strait of Hormuz, along with sea-drone attacks and other low-tech assaults using traditional dhow fishing boats against U.S. naval forces.
Iran claimed it had struck the USS Abraham Lincoln early in the conflict, but the United States denied it.
“The Lincoln was not hit,” CENTCOM said on X at the time. “The missiles launched didn’t even come close.”
The intelligence official added that Chinese support for Iran was troubling as well, though they declined to provide further details.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump said Thursday that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains a far greater priority than concerns about rising oil prices, stressing that security and stability in the Middle East outweigh short-term fluctuations in energy markets.
Trump acknowledged that the ongoing war with Iran has caused turbulence in global oil prices, but argued that preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons must take precedence.
“The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“BUT, of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stopping an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World.”
“I won’t ever let that happen!” Trump added.
Energy markets have been volatile since Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel began Operation Epic Fury, a campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and missile infrastructure.
Oil prices climbed sharply earlier in the week, briefly approaching $120 per barrel amid fears that fighting could threaten oil shipments from the Persian Gulf, a region responsible for a significant share of the world’s energy supply.
Despite the market swings, Trump said the United States is in a strong position to handle potential disruptions because of its role as the world’s leading oil producer.
As part of efforts to limit price increases, Trump said he is prepared to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve if needed to help bring down fuel costs for Americans.
“Well, we’ll do that and then we’ll fill it up,” Trump told WKRC-TV during a visit to Thermo Fisher Scientific in Cincinnati.
“I filled it up once, and I’ll fill it up again, but right now we’ll reduce it a little bit, and that brings the prices down.”
In addition to U.S. actions, the International Energy Agency announced plans to release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency stockpiles. The move represents the largest such release in the agency’s history and is intended to prevent major disruptions to the global energy supply during the conflict.
Oil markets have shown signs of calming. Brent crude was trading near $93 per barrel in after-hours trading Wednesday, significantly below the peak reached earlier in the week.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to American energy production as a strategic advantage, arguing that domestic oil output provides the United States with flexibility during international crises.
During his first term, Trump sought to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after oil prices collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic, though congressional Democrats blocked funding for the purchase.
The reserve currently contains about 416 million barrels of oil. That figure is well below the 638 million barrels stored when Trump left office in 2021, after the Biden administration drew down supplies in an effort to reduce rising fuel prices.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump sharply criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, saying comments the Democrat made during a recent book tour stop have effectively eliminated any chance he has of becoming a future presidential nominee.
Posting on Truth Social late Wednesday night, Trump took aim at Newsom’s recent media appearances tied to the promotion of his memoir, arguing that the governor’s own words had badly damaged his political standing.
“Gavin Newscum’s interview weeks ago was, perhaps, the most self-destructive interview I’ve ever seen,” Trump wrote. “In one fell swoop, he took himself out of even being considered as the Presidential Nominee of the Crazy Democrats.”
Trump went on to say that Newsom hurt himself politically by openly discussing his academic struggles and personal challenges, including dyslexia.
“He said, in a speech, he was dumb, had low Boards, can’t read, has dyslexia, and has a mental disorder — A Cognitive Mess!” Trump wrote. “This was a politically suicidal act.”
Trump concluded his post with a blunt assessment of Newsom’s political future.
“He is no longer a viable Presidential Candidate!”
The criticism followed controversy surrounding remarks Newsom made during a weekend appearance in Atlanta while promoting his upcoming memoir, Young Man in a Hurry.
During the event, the California governor tried to connect with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and others in attendance by speaking candidly about the academic struggles he faced earlier in life.
“I’m not trying to impress you, I’m just trying to impress upon you, I’m like you. I’m not better than you. I’m a 960 SAT guy,” Newsom said.
He also told attendees, “You’ve never seen me read a speech because I cannot read a speech,” referencing his struggles with dyslexia.
The remarks quickly drew backlash online, with critics accusing Newsom of making comments that were racially insensitive.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote on X that the comments reflected the “soft bigotry of low expectations,” while Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., called the remarks “disgusting.”
Rapper Nicki Minaj also weighed in, writing on X that Newsom’s “way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read.”
Data from the College Board’s 2024 report, cited by the New York Post, shows that the average SAT score for Black students is 907 out of 1,600, compared with 1,083 for white students.
A short video clip of Newsom’s remarks spread widely across social media platforms, prompting further criticism from conservative commentators and political figures.
Newsom later responded by sharing a longer version of the exchange on X and defending the comments by highlighting his lifelong difficulty with dyslexia.
“My mom didn’t want my dyslexia to hold me back,” Newsom wrote.
Even so, some critics argue that the controversy could complicate Newsom’s efforts to build national recognition as he positions himself for a possible presidential campaign in 2028.
The governor’s book tour has taken him to several states, including South Carolina, an early presidential primary state. Political observers widely see the tour as part of an effort to lay the groundwork for a future White House run.
{Matzav.com}
