U.S. intelligence analysts are investigating whether Russia provided Iran with targeting intelligence and advanced drone technology to strike CIA facilities in the Gulf, according to a Reuters report Wednesday citing four sources familiar with the matter.
The probe marks a potential escalation in Moscow’s campaign to disrupt American operations in the Middle East.
At least two CIA facilities were struck in March — including the CIA station inside the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and another facility in eastern Iraq. Sources indicated additional sites were also hit but declined to provide further details.
The precision of the strikes and Russia’s longstanding military support for Iran are among the key factors under review.
Two Western officials in the Gulf briefed on intelligence reports said analysts believe the Saudi attack involved two Russian-enhanced versions of Iran’s Shahed drones. According to those officials, the first drone breached a vulnerable section of the embassy’s exterior, allowing the second to fly through the opening before detonating.
No casualties were reported.
One internal memo from a Western intelligence agency concluded that Russia likely played a role in targeting regional CIA facilities, according to a regional official familiar with the document.
Russia has helped Iran improve the range and accuracy of its Shahed drones by supplying the Kometa-M satellite navigation system, which is more resistant to jamming than Iran’s domestic version. The Wall Street Journal first reported this assistance in March; the Kremlin dismissed the report as “fake news.”
U.S. analysts have examined whether Iran relied on Russian targeting intelligence during the embassy attack. Some officials noted that few nations besides Russia would have both the capability and interest in providing such sensitive information against the U.S.
Still, some sources cautioned that Iran might have been targeting the broader U.S. Embassy and struck the CIA station by chance.
Daniel Hoffman, a former CIA station chief and undercover operations officer, said Russian assistance in targeting CIA facilities would be consistent with Moscow’s strategic partnership with Tehran.
“They share an interest in trying to reduce or eliminate U.S. influence altogether in their self-designated spheres of influence,” Hoffman said.
Concerns about Russian assistance intensified after recent strikes on a U.S. military base in Jordan, where Iranian ballistic missiles struck army barracks. Two soldiers were lost in that attack.
While Russia has long supported Iran militarily, helping Tehran target sensitive CIA facilities would mark a significant escalation in Moscow’s efforts to disrupt U.S. operations amid the ongoing Iran war.
The White House referred questions to the CIA, which declined comment. Iran’s mission to the United Nations, Russia’s Defense Ministry, and the Saudi government did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Analysts have not reached definitive conclusions, but the investigation continues.
