Trump acknowledges Putin might be helping Iran 'a little bit'
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Russian President Vladimir Putin may be helping Iran a "little bit," U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview segment with Fox News published on March 13, amid the ongoing conflict between Washington and Tehran.
"I think he might be helping them a little bit, yeah, I guess," Trump said. "And he probably thinks we're helping Ukraine, right?"
The comments come just as Washington moved to ease sanctions on Russian oil, amid a surge in fuel prices driven by the conflict in the Middle East.
The Trump administration has previously downplayed reports that Russia has been providing intelligence to Iran used to target American forces, drawing scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on March 10 that Moscow had denied the accusations, suggesting that "we can take them at their word."
The envoy made the comments after Trump held a phone call with Putin on March 9 to discuss efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Hostilities in the Middle East erupted after U.S. and Israeli forces launched combined attacks against Iran on Feb. 28, leading Tehran to fire waves of missiles and drones against countries across the region.
The conflict led to a surge in oil and gas prices after Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a route that carries roughly 20% of the world's oil supply.
London has also issued warnings about Russian involvement in Iranian attacks.
"I think no one will be surprised to believe that Putin's hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics and potentially some of their capabilities as well," U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said on March 12.
Ukraine, which has spent years defending its cities and infrastructure from large-scale Russian attacks using Shahed-type drones, has offered to share its experience in countering cheap unmanned aircraft.
