Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth emphasized on Tuesday that Russia should not be involved in the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, following a phone call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During a Pentagon press briefing, Hegseth stated, “I was not on it, but those that were said it was a strong call, reaffirming, hopefully, the opportunity for some peace in Russia and Ukraine, and also a recognition that as pertains to this conflict, they should not be involved.”
Recent reports, citing US officials, have suggested that Russia has been providing Iran with intelligence on US assets and positions, which Iran has allegedly used to target American defense systems in the Middle East.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff has reiterated Russia’s denial of these reports, stating on CNBC’s “Money Movers” that the Russians have claimed they are not sharing critical intelligence with Iran.
President Trump, speaking from South Florida on Monday, mentioned that Putin expressed a desire to help end the conflict with Iran but emphasized the need for Russia to address the situation in Ukraine.
Publicly, Putin has shown support for Iran, even congratulating Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Trump, however, has criticized Khamenei as a "lightweight" and expressed doubts about his ability to maintain peace.
While Iran and Russia have a history of close ties, Russia has not taken direct action against the US in the ongoing conflict with Iran. Trump has defended the US stance, pointing out that the US has been providing support to Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has supported Trump’s Operation Epic Fury, a military action against Iran, despite recent tensions between the two leaders over Ukraine’s handling of the conflict with Russia.
In a recent interview, Trump indicated a willingness to negotiate with Putin, suggesting that Zelensky needs to take more decisive action to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
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