The Trump-ordered US-Israeli attack on Iran is continuing to create an array of 'unknowns' while steadily drawing in outside powers, with the most significant Friday development being The Washington Post reporting that Russia has been providing Iran with intelligence on the locations of US military assets in the Middle East, including warships and aircraft.

US officials described the effort as "a pretty comprehensive effort" by Moscow, though the accuracy of the intelligence remains unclear - the paper admits. What follows is the money quote:

"Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to attack American forces in the Middle East, the first indication that another major US adversary is participating – even indirectly – in the war, according to three officials familiar with the intelligence."

The report cites three officials familiar with the intelligence, who spoke about the support on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

"The targeting information has included the locations of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East, the officials said," WaPo writes.

A couple of contextual issues: it remains that the 'fog of war' and propaganda is very heavy - and so such allegations especially from an ultra-heart-of-the-establishment D.C. beltway publication should be treated with caution and skepticism.

It is meant to keep pressure and scrutiny on Moscow at a moment the world's attention is wholly fixated on the Iran theatre. 

However, it also makes perfect sense that Moscow would support a remaining Middle East ally (after the fall of Assad in Syria), given that Russia and Iran signed a strategic partnership agreement earlier this year expanding military and defense cooperation. Despite that, Hegseth said earlier in the week that Russia is "not really a factor" in the conflict.

If the report is accurate, what might this look like on the ground? Here's an example of the possible implications:

New investigations by CNN reveal that Iran successfully destroyed an advanced U.S. radar system located inside Jordanian territory.

According to CNN’s analysis of satellite imagery, the radar installation appears to have been completely destroyed. The investigation also indicates that buildings housing similar radar systems at two additional locations in the United Arab Emirates were reportedly targeted in separate attacks.

Above: this is over 500 miles from Iran.

Could the Iran war eventually emerge as the next ground zero Mideast proxy battleground between the US and Russia? It remains unlikely that Moscow will get involved too directly, given also it has a costly war with Ukraine to run; however, this alleged heightened intelligence sharing with Tehran points to a first step of sorts.

From the Kremlin's point of view, Washington has already long been doing the same, and in a major way, in the context of the Ukraine proxy war.