The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the United States, Dan Caine, stated on Thursday (April 30) during a hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia has been providing assistance to Iran in its military operations.
Caine cited the public nature of the hearing as the reason for not disclosing more details but mentioned that “Russia has definitely taken some actions.”
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, Republican Senator Roger Wicker, also believes that Russia has supported Iran during the US military’s “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran.
Wicker warned in his opening remarks that Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, these four “dictatorships,” have formed a coalition.
“Xi Jinping, not only leads China but also heads an axis of aggression,” Wicker said. “These four dictatorships support each other’s aggressive actions, bolster each other economically, and plot to disrupt the goals of the United States.”
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, stated at the end of last month that Russia is providing intelligence support to Iran.
“We see that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran to target Americans, to kill Americans. Russia is also providing drones to Iran now so that they can attack neighboring countries and US military bases,” Kallas said at the Group of Seven (G7) meeting held on the outskirts of Paris.
Earlier last month, multiple US media outlets reported, citing insiders, that US intelligence indicates Russia has been providing Iran with information on the movements and positions of US forces in the Middle East.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated in an interview with NBC on March 5 that both China and Russia are providing political and “other forms” of assistance to Iran, but he refused to disclose if this includes military support.
US Secretary of Defense Hegesias said on March 31 during a press conference at the Pentagon that US adversaries are doing things they should not be doing, providing Iran with relevant information and intelligence on the deployment of US assets in the Middle East.
“We have taken note of this, and ultimately, we will adjust our deployment,” he said, adding, “One of the most important principles in the military is not to establish fixed patterns, not to follow predictable patterns. Therefore, commanders are working to adjust these systems in real-time, ensuring they are deployed in the right positions and not easily targeted.”