WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday downplayed reports of Russian intelligence sharing with Iran, even as a week-old conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate and rattle global markets. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Miami, Trump suggested any assistance Moscow provided to Tehran hadn’t been effective.
“I hope they are not. If you take a look at what’s happened to Iran in the last week, if they’re getting information, it’s not helping them much,” Trump said, without confirming U.S. intelligence assessments that Russia may have provided Iran with targeting information for attacks on American forces.
The comments came after a dignified transfer ceremony for six U.S. Army reservists killed in a drone strike in Kuwait, following joint U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran. The conflict has rapidly raised concerns about energy supplies and sent global oil prices higher, disrupting shipping through the critical Strait of Hormuz, which carries approximately 20 million barrels of oil daily.
When questioned about the potential impact on U.S.-Russia relations, Trump dismissed the concern, suggesting Russia could equally claim the U.S. engages in similar intelligence activities. “They’d say we do it against them,” he said. “Wouldn’t they say that we do it against them?”
The situation has drawn criticism from some U.S. lawmakers. Democratic Representative Ted Lieu of California, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), urged the administration to reverse its recent decision to allow India to continue purchasing Russian oil, calling it “traitorous conduct” given Russia’s alleged support for Iran targeting American troops.
However, India maintains its energy policy is independent and doesn’t require external permission. A senior government official, quoted by PTI, stated the U.S. waiver simply removes obstacles to trade, rather than dictating India’s energy choices.
Trump also indicated he wasn’t immediately considering tapping the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to address rising oil prices. The SPR currently holds over 415 million barrels, with a total capacity exceeding 700 million. He stated, “We’ve got a lot of oil. Our country has a tremendous amount…There’s a lot of oil out there. That’ll get healed very quickly,” but added he remained open to other measures if needed “just to take a little of the pressure off.”