Print Print    Close Close

Petraeus calls for immediate sanctions on Russia over alleged intelligence support to Iran

By Taylor Penley

Published March 09, 2026

Fox News
Gen. David Petraeus on Iran's high-risk strategy, Russian support and US military options Video

Retired four-star Gen. David Petraeus is calling for immediate sanctions against Russia after reports that Moscow is providing Iran with intelligence support — assistance he says could explain the improved accuracy of Iranian missile and drone attacks.

"[President Trump] should ask Congress to pass the sanctions bill that is in the Senate…" Petraeus told "The Sunday Briefing." 

"[Sen. Lindsey Graham] has over 90 out of 100 senators supporting it. It would be a very powerful signal to Russia. It would complement what the EU has done, which has been very impressive in this regard as well, and I think it's long since time that the sanctions are slapped on Russia, especially now that apparently they're providing the intelligence," he added.

MIKE PENCE PRAISES TRUMP FOR ‘DECISIVE LEADERSHIP’ ON IRAN AFTER BIDEN ‘SQUANDERED’ US DETERRENCE

Former Central Intelligence Director and retired U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus

Former Central Intelligence Director and retired U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus participates in a discussion about Taiwan and Ukraine at the Hudson Institute on July 28, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The general's remarks came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that a military partnership between Iran and Russia has been no "secret" in the past and that such a partnership "is still there and will continue in the future."

FETTERMAN CONDEMNS DEMOCRATS FOR REFUSING TO PUT ‘COUNTRY OVER PARTY’ ON IRAN STRIKES

Vladimir Putin

In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state-owned Sputnik agency, President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with Russian Government members at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence, on Aug. 7, 2024. (SERGEI BOBYLYOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Araghchi's appearance came after reports that Russia has been providing Iran with intelligence to help target U.S. military assets.

When asked about the reports, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, "It clearly is not making any difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

President Trump ‘not happy’ with Iran’s new supreme leader Video

Petraeus said Iran does not possess the type of intelligence required to target U.S. assets with precision on its own, and Russian interference would explain "some of the accuracy of the missiles and drone strikes."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.

Print Print    Close Close

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/media/petraeus-calls-immediate-sanctions-russia-over-alleged-intelligence-support-iran

  • Home
  • Video
  • Politics
  • U.S.
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • World
  • Sports
  • Weather
  • Privacy
  • Terms

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. © FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Do Not Sell my Personal Information - New Terms of Use - FAQ