WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter.
The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that the U.S. intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information as the U.S. and Israel continue their bombardment and Iran fires retaliatory salvos at American assets and allies in the Persian Gulf.
Still, it's the first indication that Moscow has sought to get involved in the war that the U.S. and Israel launched on Iran a week ago. Russia is in the rare club of countries that maintains friendly relations with Tehran, which has faced years of isolation over its nuclear program and its support of proxy groups that have wreaked havoc in the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.
The White House downplayed reports that Russia was sharing intelligence with Iran about U.S. targets in the region. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday told reporters that “it clearly is not making any difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a CBS' “60 Minutes” interview on Friday said the U.S. is “tracking everything” and factoring it into battle plans, when asked about the reports Russia was aiding Iran.
“The American people can rest assured their commander in chief is well aware of who’s talking to who,” he said. “And anything that shouldn’t be happening, whether it’s in public or back-channeled, is being confronted and confronted strongly.”
Leavitt declined to say if Trump had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the reported intelligence sharing or whether he believed Russia should face repercussions, saying she would let the president speak to that himself.
Asked whether Russia would go beyond political support and offer military assistance to Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there has been no such request from Tehran.
“We are in dialogue with the Iranian side, with representatives of the Iranian leadership, and will certainly continue this dialogue,” he said Friday.
Pushed on whether Moscow has provided any military or intelligence assistance to Tehran since the Iran war’s start, he refrained from comment.
Russia has tightened its relationship with Iran as it looked for badly needed missiles and drones to utilize in its four-year war against Ukraine.
The Biden administration declassified intelligence findings that showed Iran supplies Moscow with attack drones and has assisted the Kremlin with building a drone-manufacturing factory.
The former U.S. administration also accused Iran of transferring short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
Details about the U.S. intelligence were first reported by The Washington Post.
Asked whether the revelation had shaken Trump’s faith in Putin’s ability to cut any peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war, Leavitt said, “I think the president would say that peace is still an achievable objective with respect to the Russia-Ukraine war."
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the United States and its allies in the Middle East are seeking Ukraine’s expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones. Tehran has been supplying Russia with Shaheds for its war on Ukraine and are now utilizing them in retaliatory attacks throughout the Gulf.
Zelenskyy says that he's spoken to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait about possible cooperation.
“Ukraine knows how to defend against Shahed drone attacks because our cities have faced them almost every night," said Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna. “When our partners are in need, we are always ready to help.”
Trump, who has struggled to fulfill a campaign pledge to end the Russia-Ukraine war, has had an up-and-down relationship with Zelenskyy. He's frequently pressured the Ukrainian leader to heed Russian demands, including that Kyiv concede Ukrainian territory still in its control.
With the Pentagon facing questions about whether the Iran war is depleting U.S. stockpiles, Trump this week grumbled that former President Joe Biden provided billions in high-end weaponry to Ukraine and failed to replenish U.S. reserves.
Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt walks to speak with reporters at the White House, Friday, March 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Nizhny Novgorod Region Governor Gleb Nikitin at the Kremlin, in , Russia, Friday, March 6, 2026. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida, Toronto, St. Louis and so many perennial contenders not being in the mix for the playoffs turned the NHL trade deadline upside down.
Those teams and others were sellers this time or simply stood pat, opening the gates for a new set of buyers eager to take a run at the Cup. Many of the top teams did make a bunch of moves, with league-leading Colorado reacquiring gritty center Nazem Kadri on Friday as the Avalanche look to make another title run four years after their last one with him.
The newcomers include the New York Islanders, who made a big splash by getting Brayden Schenn from the Blues for fellow forward Jonathan Drouin, a goaltending prospect and first- and third-round picks in the draft this year.
“He fits exactly what we need right now,” first-year general manager Mathieu Darche said.
Schenn, who hoisted the Cup in 2019 and has captained St. Louis the past three seasons, joins a mix on Long Island led by standout rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 pick whose presence has revitalized the franchise.
“He was excited for a new opportunity to go to an upstart Islander team with the most exciting young player in a long time,” said Blues GM Doug Armstrong, whose team also got first- and third-rounders as part of the return from Detroit for defenseman Justin Faulk. The Red Wings are looking to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
No one has a longer drought than Buffalo at a league-record 14 years, and the Sabres are on track to ending it. They added center Sam Carrick from the New York Rangers and defenseman Luke Schenn — Brayden’s brother — from Winnipeg, then made another trade with the Jets for forward Tanner Pearson.
“It's new for me,” captain Rasmus Dahlin said of the Sabres adding rather than unloading players at the deadline. “This is why you play hockey. This is what it should feel like.”
Toronto joined the sellers by trading fourth-year forward Bobby McMann to the Seattle Kraken for a fourth-round pick in the draft this year and a 2027 second-rounder.
Colorado getting Kadri back from Calgary put the rest of the league on notice: The Avalanche are not content to ride the speed of their top two lines.
They got Kadri and a '27 fourth-rounder from the Flames for Victor Olofsson, the rights to unsigned pick Max Curran, a conditional 2028 first-round pick and conditional 2027 second-rounder. The Flames even retained 20% ($1.4 million) of Kadri’s salary as part of the trade.
The Avalanche had already bolstered their depth down the middle by acquiring Nicolas Roy from Toronto.
The Kadri stunner came hours after Minnesota got 38-year-old forward Nick Foligno from Chicago for future considerations. He now gets to play with brother Marcus and chase the Stanley Cup for a beefed-up Wild team that has made five prominent trades since December to put itself in the mix for the championship after failing to advance beyond the first round since 2015.
In the East, Tampa Bay brought back winger Corey Perry in a trade from Los Angeles for a 2028 second-round pick, with the Kings retaining half his salary. Perry, who turns 41 in May, has reached the final and lost in five of the past six years, including 2022 with the Lightning. The pesky winger has a Cup ring from 2007 with Anaheim and gives coach Jon Cooper’s team veteran experience and an edge.
Eastern Conference-leading Carolina has plenty of skill, and the Hurricanes got tougher in the final hour before the deadline by acquiring forward Nicolas Deslauriers from Philadelphia for a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick.
“We have a group of guys that has that internal toughness, that fight,” general manager Eric Tulsky said. “We do have that fire. But of course, it’s easier to have that toughness when you’ve got a guy like Deslauriers out there with you.”
The Rangers held on to center Vincent Trocheck, the U.S. Olympic champion who was considered the top player available on a lot of lists, and Philadelphia did not trade big defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. Each player is under contract beyond this season.
St. Louis was active, getting goalie prospect Marcus Gidlof from the Islanders and forward Dmitiri Buchelnikov from the Wings, but goaltender Jordan Binnington, forwards Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou did not get moved.
“I don’t spend a lot of time on trades that didn’t happen," Armstrong said.
The Panthers also held on to two-time Vezina Trophy-winning netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who backstopped them to consecutive championships and could now re-sign.
John Carlson going to the Anaheim Ducks just after midnight made it seem like the Washington Capitals were selling in what could be Alex Ovechkin's final NHL season, especially after also trading veteran center Nic Dowd to Vegas. Then they turned around and added Carlson's replacement on defense from San Jose by sending a fourth-rounder this year to the Sharks for Timothy Liljegren.
After trading Perry and sending Warren Foegele to Ottawa, the Kings got Scott Laughton from Toronto. The Ducks also sold after buying, sending center Ryan Strome to Calgary for a seventh-round pick.
AP Sports Writers Aaron Beard, Greg Beacham, Dave Campbell and Dan Gelston and AP freelance writer Denis P. Gorman contributed to this report.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
Ottawa Senators' Jordan Spence, left, checks Calgary Flames' Nazem Kadri during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings right wing Corey Perry (10) and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (5) fight in the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij)
Chicago Blackhawks left wing Nick Foligno, left, redircts a shot into the glove of Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood in the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
From left, St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk, defenseman Philip Broberg, right wing Jimmy Snuggerud, and center Robert Thomas celebrate after a goal by Thomas during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Seattle Kraken, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Maddy Grassy)
New York Rangers' Vincent Trocheck (16) reacts after scoring a goal during the shootout of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
FILE -Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (74) in action during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland (8) watches as Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie (1) stops the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks right wing Conor Garland (8) looks to pass in the second period against the Seattle Kraken during an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Kevin Ng)
