Iran receiving intelligence support from Russia, officials say

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?

Two officials 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 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, a 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.

And attacks 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 on 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.

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

Yeah, 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 this step

before, sharing real-time intelligence that could target U.S. troops.

And what kind of military and military collaboration long-term that could lead to, whether air defense

or Russian political advisers in Iran.

As for the White House today, Caroline Levitt, the spokesperson of the White House said

this.

It 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've 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.

And that's what the military argues, Jeff, 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've seen on the Gulf on U.S.-based embassies, those

are going way down.

Nick Schifrin.

Thanks as always.

Thank you.