Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed concerns that Russia providing intelligence to Iranian forces puts U.S. troops in danger, asserting that American commanders are tracking all communications and movements while warning that “the only ones that need to be worried right now are Iranians that think they’re going to live.”
Russia providing intelligence to Iranian forces is not putting U.S. forces in danger, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
"No one's putting us in danger. We're putting the other guys in danger, that's our job," Hegseth told CBS News on Friday. "So we're not concerned… pic.twitter.com/eQnbWgK7bU
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 6, 2026
Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on US positions and movements, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed concerns that this puts American forces in danger, asserting instead that “No one’s putting us in danger. We’re putting the other guys in danger, that’s our job.” Speaking to CBS News on Friday, Hegseth said: “We’re tracking everything. Our commanders are aware of everything. We have the best intelligence in the world. We’re aware of who’s talking to who, why they’re talking to them, how accurate that information might be, and how we factor that into our battle plans.
Our CENTCOM commander knows what’s going on. So we know what’s going on… The American people can rest assured their Commander in Chief is well aware of who’s talking to who, and anything that shouldn’t be happening, whether it’s in public or back-channeled, is being confronted—and confronted strongly.” Hegseth concluded with a stark warning: “So we’re not concerned about that, we mitigate it as we need to. Our commanders factor all of this. But the only ones that need to be worried right now are Iranians that think they’re going to live.”
Russia is providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of US troops, ships and aircraft, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting — the first indication Moscow has sought to get involved in the conflict. CNN's Natasha Bertrand… pic.twitter.com/yrGzbiAK6K
— CNN (@CNN) March 7, 2026