Zelensky: Russia Is Supplying Iran with Satellite Images of U.S. Bases in Gulf Countries

Russia is assisting Iran with intelligence and providing satellite imagery of the territories of Gulf countries, as well as U.S. military installations located in the region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared this during his evening address on July 25.

According to Zelensky, Ukrainian intelligence has already documented the relevant evidence and will share the information with Ukraine’s international partners.

The President said that on July 19–20 alone, Russian satellites photographed four air bases – two in Bahrain, one in Jordan, and one in Kuwait. According to Zelensky, the purpose of the reconnaissance is clear: to provide intelligence to Iran.

“I will instruct our intelligence agencies to share with our partners the information we have about Russia’s latest assistance to the Iranian regime,” Zelensky announced.

Since the beginning of July, Ukraine has been tracking intensified Russian satellite surveillance of the territories of Gulf countries and U.S. military bases in the region. According to Kyiv, the imagery collected is subsequently passed on to Iran.

Zelensky noted that there is a clear correlation between Russian satellite reconnaissance and Iranian military strikes – both before attacks, when intelligence is gathered, and afterward, when Tehran assesses the extent of the damage inflicted.

We also recommend reading our in-depth analysis: Russia’s Space Reconnaissance Capabilities.

One of the attacks took place on July 17, 2026, when Iran struck a U.S. military base in Jordan, killing two American service members. A third service member is still listed as missing.

U.S. intelligence is now investigating whether Russia provided Iran with intelligence or other support during the drone attacks targeting Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) facilities in the Gulf region.

The investigation covers both the satellite imagery itself – which has drawn scrutiny because of the high precision of Iran’s strikes, raising questions about coordination with other countries – and the alleged transfer to Iran of Kometa navigation receivers, which are resistant to electronic warfare (EW) interference and have reportedly been integrated into Shahed-136 drones.

As of June 3, 2026, Iran had damaged at least 20 U.S. military facilities across the Middle East. Since the outbreak of hostilities, Iranian forces have targeted key U.S. installations in at least eight countries in the region: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain, and Oman.

Tehran targeted both U.S. military bases and joint military facilities in response to U.S.-Israeli strikes.