He might be helping them: Trump claims Putin could be aiding Iran in war

Trump said he believes Vladimir Putin may be helping Iran in its war with the United States and Israel, while Russia denies sharing intelligence with Tehran as the conflict escalates.

In Short

• Trump suspects Putin may assist Iran in its war with US and Israel
• He acknowledges US support to Ukraine against Russia
• Trump notes global powers see conflicts as competing alliances

US President Donald Trump said he believes Russian leader Vladimir Putin may be providing some level of assistance to Iran during its war with the United States and Israel, raising new questions about Moscow’s role in the escalating conflict.

Trump made the remarks during a radio interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, when asked directly whether Russia could be helping Tehran.

“I think he might be helping them a bit,” Trump said of Putin. “And he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine, right?”

Pressed further by Kilmeade on whether Moscow could be supporting Iran, Trump repeated his suspicion.

“I think he might be helping them a bit, yeah,” Trump said. “I guess, and he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine.”

Trump acknowledged that Washington has backed Kyiv in its war with Russia since Moscow’s invasion in 2022.

“Yeah, we’re helping them also,” Trump said, referring to Ukraine.

He suggested global powers often see such conflicts through a lens of competing alliances.

“So he says that, and China would say the same thing,” Trump said. “It’s like, ‘Hey, they do it, and we do it, in all fairness.’ They do it, and we do it.”

The comments come about a week after Trump sharply criticized a reporter who asked whether Russia was aiding Iran.

Trump also spoke with Putin earlier this week. According to US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian officials denied sharing intelligence with Tehran during that conversation.

“The Russians said they have not been sharing,” Witkoff said in a CNBC interview. “So, you know, we can take them at their word. Let’s hope that they’re not sharing.”

The remarks come as the US-Israel war with Iran enters 14th day, raising fears of broader geopolitical involvement from major powers.

Trump also warned that the United States could escalate its military response. “We’re going to be hitting them very hard over the next week,” he said in the same interview.

Meanwhile, global energy markets remain on edge as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz threaten to disrupt a major portion of the world’s oil shipments.

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