On March 8, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Russia is "helping in many different directions" in the context of the escalating war between Iran and the US and Israel.
Speaking on NBC News' Meet The Press program, Mr. Araghchi emphasized that military relations between Iran and Russia are not new.
Military cooperation between Iran and Russia is not a secret. It has existed in the past, continues and will continue in the future," he said, while describing the relationship between the two countries as "a very good partnership".
Host Kristen Welker then directly questioned whether Moscow was providing intelligence to Tehran, amid reports that Russia shared military data with Iran when the war broke out.
In response, Mr. Araghchi did not specifically confirm but also did not deny. "They are helping us in many different directions," the Iranian Foreign Minister said, adding that he did not have "detailed information" about the extent of the support.
These statements immediately sparked speculation about Russia's backstage role in the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
However, the US administration does not seem too worried. President Donald Trump rejected the question about Russia's possible involvement in the war when asked at an event at the White House.
That's a really silly question right now" - Mr. Trump said when a Fox News reporter mentioned Moscow's ability to support Tehran.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also gave a similar response. When asked about reports that Russia had provided information related to the US military base to Iran, he said Washington does not consider it a threat.
“No one puts us in a dangerous situation,” Hegseth told CBS News. “Our job is to put the opponent in danger, and we are not worried about that.”
Previously, immediately after the US and Israel launched joint airstrikes on Iran last week, Russia strongly criticized this military campaign.
Russian officials called the attacks "planned and unprovoked armed aggression against a sovereign state and a member of the United Nations".
Meanwhile, Tehran continues to reject calls for a ceasefire from the international community.
Foreign Minister Araghchi said that before talking about a ceasefire, the US and Israel need to explain why they launched the air strike campaign.
This is an unprovoked and unreasonable attack," he said. "No one wants the war to drag on. This is not our war.
The conflict between Iran and the US and Israel has now entered its second week and shows signs of expanding, raising concerns about the risk of forming new alliances behind the lines.
In that context, Iran's public mention of support from Russia - although not yet clear to what extent - is making the geopolitical picture surrounding the Middle East war more complex and unpredictable.
