The dismissal came as the administration separately faced bipartisan criticism over its decision to temporarily exempt India from oil sanctions on Russia through April 4, even as U.S. intelligence officials reportedly believe Moscow is sharing targeting information with Tehran.
President Donald Trump dismissed reports Saturday that Russia has provided Iran with targeting information to strike U.S. military personnel in the Middle East, calling the intelligence sharing inconsequential one week into the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. Trump spoke aboard Air Force One after attending the dignified transfer for six Army reservists killed in a drone strike in Kuwait — the day after the U.S. and Israel launched the war.
“If you take a look at what’s happened to Iran in the last week, if they’re getting information, it’s not helping them much,” Trump told reporters as he flew to Miami, where he was spending the rest of the weekend.
The president stopped short of confirming reports by the Associated Press and other news outlets that U.S. intelligence officials believe Russia has provided Iran with such targeting information.
Russia and the U.S.-Russia relationship
Asked how Russia assisting Iran might affect his view of the U.S.-Russia relationship, Trump drew a parallel to American intelligence support for Ukraine.
“They’d say we do it against them. Wouldn’t they say that we do it against them?” Trump said.
Ukraine has received U.S. intelligence to help defend against incoming Russian missiles and to help Kyiv hit certain Russian targets in the four years since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
Bipartisan blowback over India oil waiver
The dismissal of the Russia-Iran intelligence reports came as the administration faced criticism from both parties over a separate decision. The U.S. Treasury Department had announced earlier in the week that it was temporarily allowing India to continue purchasing crude oil and petroleum products from Russia for one month, through April 4.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., condemned the move in a post on X. “Weakness towards Russia is appalling,” Bacon wrote.
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., directed his criticism at Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, writing on X: “Reverse your decision to lift oil sanctions on Russia. It is traitorous conduct for you to help Russia. Meanwhile, Russia is assisting Iran in targeting American troops.”
The waiver for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government followed Trump’s announcement weeks earlier that he was cutting tariffs on India after Indian officials agreed to reduce the country’s reliance on cheap Russian crude.
Hormuz shipping disruption and oil prices
The Iran war has severely disrupted global energy markets. Ships carrying roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day are reportedly unable to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf bordered on its north side by Iran. The disruption has interrupted supplies from some of the world’s largest oil producers.
Oil prices have surged and show no signs of stabilizing a week into the conflict, according to the Associated Press.
Asked whether he was willing to take steps to ease oil prices, Trump said he would act “if there were some, I would do it, just to take a little of the pressure off.”
Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Trump appeared to wave off, at least for now, the possibility of tapping the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
“We’ve got a lot of oil. Our country has a tremendous amount,” Trump said. “There’s a lot of oil out there. That’ll get healed very quickly.”
The reserve held more than 415 million barrels as of the end of February 2026, up from about 395 million barrels at the same time in 2025. When full, it can hold more than 700 million barrels.