Special envoy Steve Witkoff said Tuesday that U.S. officials are taking Russia “at their word” after Moscow denied sharing intelligence with Iran amid the war.
Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Witkoff said Russian officials rejected accusations that they were providing intelligence assistance to Iran, which has been engaged in escalating military clashes with U.S. and Israeli forces.
“Well, I’m not an intel officer, so I can’t tell you,” Witkoff said. “I can tell you that yesterday on the call with the president, the Russians said that they have not been sharing. That’s what they said. So, you know, we can take them at their word.”
Witkoff said the message was repeated in a separate conversation between himself, special envoy Jared Kushner, and senior Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov earlier Monday.
“Let’s hope they’re not sharing,” Witkoff said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that President Donald Trump and Witkoff have made clear to Russia that intelligence sharing with Iran would be unacceptable.
“The president and his special envoy Witkoff have both said that … they’ve sent a message to Russia that if that was taking place, it’s not something they would be happy with, and they hope it is not taking place,” Leavitt said.
She declined to provide additional details about conversations between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the president had already addressed the issue.
Leavitt previously downplayed the significance of Russian-Iranian intelligence sharing and said it “clearly is not making a difference” on the battlefield.
Concerns about intelligence cooperation come as Iran and Russia have strengthened ties in recent years. The two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement earlier this year and have expanded military and economic cooperation.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently said that Tehran and Moscow maintain close coordination but did not confirm any intelligence sharing tied to the war in Iran.
The problem has taken on greater urgency as the U.S.-Iran war escalates, with fighting spreading across the Persian Gulf region and raising fears that outside powers could become more directly involved.
