United States intelligence analysts are investigating whether Russia provided targeting intelligence or advanced drone technology that may have helped Iran carry out drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf region, according to people familiar with the inquiry.
The sources said investigators have not reached any firm conclusions, but are examining the precision and effectiveness of the strikes, as well as Russia’s longstanding military and technical support for Iran, as possible indicators of Moscow’s involvement.
The investigation focuses specifically on whether Russia may have played a role in attacks targeting CIA facilities, a line of inquiry that has not previously been reported.
Investigators examine attacks on CIA facilities
At least two CIA facilities were reportedly struck in March, including the agency’s station inside the US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and another site in eastern Iraq.
Some sources said additional CIA locations were also hit, but declined to provide further details because of the sensitivity of the facilities.
According to an official with access to an internal assessment by a Western intelligence agency, the document concluded that Russia had likely contributed to the targeting of regional CIA facilities.
Two Western officials briefed on intelligence assessments said analysts believed the attack on the US Embassy in Riyadh involved two Russian-enhanced versions of Iran’s Shahed drones.
According to the officials, one drone breached a vulnerable section of the embassy’s exterior, allowing a second drone to enter through the opening before detonating. No deaths or injuries were reported.
Questions remain over Russia’s involvement
The sources said Russia has previously helped Iran improve the range and accuracy of its Shahed drones. One source said Moscow supplied Tehran with the Kometa-M satellite navigation system, which is believed to be more accurate and more resistant to jamming than Iran’s existing technology.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Russia had supplied the navigation system to Iran, a claim the Kremlin rejected as “fake news”.
Despite the ongoing investigation, intelligence officials have not ruled out other possibilities.
Some sources cautioned that Iran may have been targeting the US Embassy rather than the CIA station specifically, and that the intelligence facility could have been struck incidentally.
However, several analysts believe only a limited number of countries possess both the capability to obtain highly sensitive targeting intelligence and the willingness to use it against US intelligence facilities.
Former CIA station chief Daniel Hoffman said closer cooperation between Moscow and Tehran would make such assistance unsurprising, given the strategic partnership between the two countries.
He said both nations share an interest in reducing US influence within regions they consider part of their own spheres of influence.
