Moscow denies sharing intelligence with Iran

MOSCOW

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said on Wednesday that Moscow does not share intelligence data with Tehran.

Speaking at an event in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo, Rudenko said Moscow does not follow in the footsteps of Washington and London, which provide such intelligence to Kyiv for targeting Russia’s civilian infrastructure.

"Moscow does not share intelligence data with Tehran, unlike the US and the UK, which transfer such information to Ukraine for strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure," the Russian Embassy in Sri Lanka quoted him as saying.

Rudenko emphasized that "Iran is the victim of an unprovoked and illegitimate attack."

"Tehran is exercising its right to self-defense," the Russian deputy foreign minister noted.

The development comes amid heightened regional tensions, as the US and Israel have been carrying out airstrikes on

Iran since Feb. 28, killing more than 1,400 people so far, according to the US-based group Human Rights Activists in Iran.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties, infrastructure damage, and disruption to global markets and aviation.