Putin-linked spy satellite allegedly fed Iran data for strike on U.S. base

U.S. officials allege that Russia’s spy satellite Cosmos 2573, among a constellation of at least 14 spacecraft, transmitted geospatial data to Iran before its March 27 assault on Prince Sultan Air Base near Riyadh. The attack wounded 12 U.S. service members and destroyed an AWACS aircraft, a key radar and command platform in the region. Sources claim the precision of the strike would have been impossible without Russian intelligence, interpreting the move as retaliation for U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

Saudi political scientist Nawaf Obaid said the Russian assistance has fundamentally altered the regional security landscape. The revelations contradict President Donald Trump’s public statements that he trusted Putin’s pledge not to help Iran, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified that both Russia and China are enabling Iran in unspecified ways.