By John Irish and Andrew Gray
VAUX-DE-CERNAY, France, March 26 (Reuters) - European powers on Thursday accused Russia of helping Iran target U.S. forces in the Middle East war and said they would raise the issue with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in France.
Rubio is joining the second day of the gathering of ministers of leading Western democracies, taking place amid wars in Iran and Ukraine, economic uncertainty and mounting unease over unpredictable U.S.
foreign policy under Donald Trump.
Two Western security sources and a regional official close to Tehran told Reuters that Russia has been providing satellite imagery to Iran and also helped Iran upgrade its drones to emulate the equivalent versions used by Russia against Ukraine.
Other media outlets have also reported that Russia is aiding Iran in the conflict with the United States and Israel, just as Tehran has helped Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
"We are raising this issue that we see that Russia is helping Iran with intelligence to target Americans, to kill Americans," European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters at the G7 meeting in Vaux-de-Cernay abbey near Paris.
"Russia is also supporting Iran now with the drones so that they can attack neighbouring countries and also the U.S. military bases."
PLAYING DOWN CONCERNS
Russia has denied sharing intelligence with Iran on U.S. military assets in the Middle East, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said earlier this month in a CNBC interview. "We can take them at their word," Witkoff said.
Before heading to Europe, Rubio also appeared to play down concerns about the accusations against Moscow.
"I think Russia is primarily concentrating on the war they have going on right now. Beyond that, I don't have anything to add right now," he said.
But two European diplomats said ministers aimed to press the issue during meetings on Friday.
"These wars are very much interlinked. So if America wants the war in the Middle East to stop, and Iran to stop attacking them, they should also put the pressure on Russia so that they are not able to help them in this," Kallas said.
Speaking at a news conference, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot echoed her comments.
"It is a proven fact that cooperation has existed and continues to exist between Russia and Iran in both directions, and we are fully aware of this," he said.
"There is reason to believe that today Russia is supporting Iran's efforts, both military and otherwise, which appear to be directed, in particular, against American targets."
Washington's partners are also hoping to get greater clarity on the U.S. and Israeli military operations and on whether any meaningful diplomatic channel exists to end the conflict.
Since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, Iran has launched strikes against Israel, U.S. bases and Gulf states, as well as effectively blocking Middle East fuel exports via the Strait of Hormuz.
Highlighting efforts to show Washington that they are stepping up, France on Thursday organised a videoconference call with some 35 militaries from around the world as it sought partners and proposals for a mission to reopen the Strait once the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran ends.
The two-day gathering brings together ministers from the G7 – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the U.S. – alongside the European Union.
(Additional reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, Humeyra Pamuk and Simon Lewis in Washington;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Bill Berkrot)
