ISTANBUL

Russia has been sharing advanced drone tactics from its war in Ukraine with Iran to help target US and Gulf targets in the Middle East, CNN reported Wednesday.

A Western intelligence official said the assistance had moved beyond general targeting support to specific guidance, describing the shift as increasingly "concerning."

There has been no public statement on the matter from either party.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally assured US counterpart Donald Trump that Moscow is not sharing intelligence on US military assets with Tehran.

Ukraine has deployed interceptor drones and specialists to protect US military bases in the region to help them counter Iran's Shahed drones.

Tensions gripped the Middle East after Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28 and have so far killed more than 1,200 people, including Ali Khamenei, the country's former supreme leader, and more than 150 schoolgirls. Iran's retaliatory attacks have killed eight US service members since the campaign began.