The CIA says the next six months will be "critical" for the Russian invasion of Ukraine especially as the Iranian government is busy with its domestic issues.

CIA Director William Burns said on Thursday the intelligence agency assesses that the next six months will be "critical" for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion.

Speaking at a foreign policy event at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Burns also said Iran's government was increasingly unsettled by affairs within the country, citing the courage of what he described as "fed up" Iranian women.

Burns also said he was concerned about prospects for greater violence between Israelis and Palestinians

Tehran has supplied hundreds of drones to Russia since mid-2022 that have been used during missile attacks to inflict more damage or to swamp Ukrainian air defenses. The United States and Europe have imposed new sanctions on Tehran for its expanded military ties with Moscow and also its deadly crackdown on protests since last September.

Iran has denied supplying weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine, but foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian after earlier denials acknowledged in early November that Tehran had supplied drones to Moscow “months before” the Ukraine war, leaving it vague if these were used in the war.

The United States and its European allies have strongly objected to Iranian drones for Russia, imposing sanctions move, and keeping nuclear talks with Tehran dormant.