Russia Just Gave Iran the Playbook It Used to Destroy Ukraine

On March 11, 2026, CNN reported a Western intelligence source confirming that Russia is providing Iran with specific drone attack tactics, the same Shahed swarming strategies Russia developed and refined over two years of war in Ukraine. Five days earlier, the Washington Post broke that Russia had begun sharing satellite imagery showing the locations of American warships, aircraft, and radar systems.The Pentagon says it is not concerned. Steve Witkoff says take Russia at their word. But four U.S. officials confirmed the intelligence sharing to NBC News. This episode reconstructs the timeline from February 28 through March 11, tests the claims against sourcing, and answers one question: is Russia fighting a proxy war against the United States through Iran?Sources for this episode are available at: https://nbn.fm/war-desk/episode/ep78About War DeskWar Desk is an investigative podcast using AI-assisted analysis of military intelligence, diplomatic signals, and conflict data to assess global war risk, with sources and references published on our website for verification.Subscribe to NBN's NewsletterGet new investigations, new shows, and the raw intelligence you won't find anywhere else straight to your inbox.Sign up at nbn.fm/newsletter.