Russia Accused of Helping Iran Target U.S. Forces, European Powers Tell G7

European nations have formally accused Russia of providing military intelligence and drone technology to Iran to help target American forces in the Middle East, raising the issue directly with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a G7 foreign ministers' summit held in Vaux-de-Cernay, France.

According to two Western security sources and a regional official with ties to Tehran, Russia has been supplying Iran with satellite imagery and drone upgrade assistance — technology mirroring what Russia itself deploys in Ukraine. The accusations surfaced as G7 ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States gathered alongside EU representatives to address escalating global conflicts and shifting U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated plainly that Russia is actively helping Iran gather intelligence to target and kill American personnel. She also noted that Russian-supplied drone support has enabled Iran to strike U.S. military bases and neighboring countries in the region. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed the ongoing military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, calling it a "proven fact" with implications directed specifically against American interests.

Despite these warnings, the U.S. response has been measured. Rubio downplayed the allegations, suggesting Russia was preoccupied with its war in Ukraine, while U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff accepted Moscow's denials at face value. European diplomats, however, pushed back, arguing the Middle East conflict and the Ukraine war are deeply connected — and that pressuring Russia could help bring both to an end.

Since U.S. and Israeli forces struck Iran on February 28, Tehran has retaliated with attacks on Israel, Gulf states, and American bases, and has effectively disrupted regional fuel exports through the Strait of Hormuz. France has since organized a coalition of roughly 35 nations to plan a mission to reopen the critical waterway once hostilities cease.