Russia’s top officials have flatly denied passing military secrets to Iran amid the ongoing conflict, according to Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, who relayed details of President Donald Trump’s Monday call with Vladimir Putin.
Speaking on CNBC’s Money Movers the next day, Witkoff said the Russians gave firm assurances during the discussion. “So, you know, we can take them at their word. Let’s hope that they’re not sharing,” he remarked, while cautioning he is no intelligence expert when pressed on specifics like potential leaks about American positions.
Witkoff added that the Russians repeated their denial on the Trump-Putin line. “I can tell you that yesterday, on the call with the president, the Russians said they have not been sharing. That’s what they said.” He and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner had also spoken earlier that morning with Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, who echoed the message.
These statements clash with an MS Now investigation over the weekend, which cited two U.S. officials alleging Moscow was supplying Tehran with data to target American ships, aircraft, and bases in the Middle East.
“Russia is providing intelligence help to Iran,” one claimed, though another countered, “I’ve seen nothing that suggests that Russia is playing a strategic or tactical combat role.”
The row intensified after Trump snapped at Fox News reporter Peter Doocy on Friday over related questions. “What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time,” the president retorted. At a Florida press conference Monday, Trump noted Putin “was very impressed with what he saw” regarding U.S. progress in the war.
This comes as the Trump administration has waived sanctions letting Indian refiners buy Russian oil, a move tied to stabilising global prices amid the turmoil. Reuters reported on 9 March that India snapped up record volumes of discounted crude as a result, while Bloomberg on 10 March outlined Putin’s delicate dance—bolstering Iran with billions in arms since 2022 without diving into direct combat, preserving vital energy revenues.
Witkoff’s revelations highlight the high-stakes diplomacy at play as Washington tests Moscow’s loyalties.