New Delhi, March 5
Iran may have received some assistance from its so-called "friends", including potentially the sharing of information amid the conflict in West Asia to counter Israel and the US, according to Former US Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer.
Speaking in a podcast with ANI, Finer said that while some information used for targeting could come from open sources, there remains a possibility that Tehran received limited assistance from countries maintaining friendly ties with it, in a veiled reference to China.
"I'd say a few things. One, unfortunately, a lot of this information is readily available in the open, what we call the open source world, commercially available imagery available simply by Googling the locations in some cases of some of these places," Finer said.
He explained that many of the targets in question are "soft targets", meaning they are not hidden military installations and can often be identified through publicly accessible data and imagery.
Finer added that although some countries maintain good relations with Iran, there is little evidence of significant support in the current conflict.
However, he acknowledged that it is possible Tehran may have received certain information from friendly states.
"Second, it is possible that Iran has got help from some of its 'friends'. It hasn't got much help, by the way. It's not like China or other countries that maintain good relations with Iran have done much to support them in this, but it is possible that they have passed them information," he added.
The former US security official also noted that Iran's military capabilities may be improving due to repeated engagements in recent years.
According to Finer, Tehran has been involved in multiple exchanges involving Israel and the United States since 2024, including missile and drone attacks that were intercepted with US assistance.
He said each episode of conflict allows Iran to learn and refine its tactics and weapons systems.
"This goes back to 2024 when Iran twice attacked Israel, and the United States helped Israel fend off salvos of hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones. But each time they do this, they learn a little bit. Their weapons become more precise. They become a bit more experienced and better at using them. And so I think you're seeing the results of some of that, too," he said.
Finer suggested that the improved accuracy of Iranian weapons could partly be the result of this growing operational experience, along with access to widely available information.
His remarks come amid escalating tensions in West Asia after a joint US-Israel military strike on February 28 on Iranian territory resulted in the death of its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures, prompting a fierce response from Tehran.
In retaliation, Iran launched waves of drone and missile attacks across multiple Arab countries as the conflict now entered its sixth day.
Tehran's counter-strikes have also targeted American military bases and Israeli assets throughout the region, with Israel also continuing its strikes on Tehran and widening the conflict to Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah.
- ANI
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