Vladimir Putin’s “hidden hand” may be helping Iran respond to its ongoing war against Donald Trump and Israel, according to the UK’s defence secretary.

John Healey was speaking from the UK’s military headquarters in London hours after drones hit a base used by western forces in Iraq.

He said British officers told him drone pilots from Iran and Iranian proxies were adopting tactics “from the Russians”, and telling them how to fly them.

Iran has been supplying Russia with Shahed drones – long-range weapons Moscow has regularly deployed against Ukraine – for years.

The chief of joint operations, Lt Gen Nick Perry, told the defence secretary that it looked like Russia had advised its allies to fly the drones at a much lower height, making them more effective when hitting targets.

That had “proven problematic” according to Perry, because the drones were rapidly becoming Iran’s most effective weapon in its fight against the US and Israel.

Healey said: “I think no one will be surprised to believe that Putin’s hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics and potentially, potentially some of their capabilities as well.”

He added: “The one world leader that is benefitting from sky-high oil prices at the moment is Putin because it helps him with a fresh supply of funds for his brutal war in Ukraine.”

A UK counter-drone team shot down two of the drones targeting a base in Erbil last night. No British casualties have been reported.

Meanwhile, Trump announced on Monday that he would “take sanctions off” some countries until the Strait of Hormuz is up and ready again.

While he did not specify which countries he was referring to, Trump’s declaration came shortly after he had a lengthy chat with the Russian autocrat – who has been trapped under heavy trade sanctions ever since invading Ukraine in 2022.

Tehran has effectively closed the strait of Hormuz, which carries a fifth of the world’s oil supply, by targeting ships on waterway.

Healey discussed the closure of the strait with the E5 of European defence ministers, and warned there were “clearer and clearer” reports that Iran was trying to mine the waterway.