U.S. intelligence analysts are examining whether Russia played a role in a series of Iranian drone strikes on CIA facilities across the Gulf region, according to four people familiar with the matter, in a probe that has not been previously disclosed. Investigators are looking specifically at whether Moscow supplied targeting information or upgraded drone technology that Iran used to hit at least two CIA sites in March — one at the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and another in eastern Iraq. No firm conclusions have been reached, the sources said, but the precision of the strikes and Russia’s broader pattern of technical support for Iran have raised suspicion among officials tracking the war.
Two Sites Confirmed, More Possibly Hit
The CIA station in Riyadh, embedded within the U.S. embassy compound, was struck in March, along with a separate CIA facility in eastern Iraq, according to people familiar with the matter and prior reporting. Some sources indicated additional CIA sites elsewhere in the region may also have been hit, though they declined to provide further detail. One source described the total number of CIA facilities struck as more than one but fewer than a dozen; a second source said several had been hit. Because CIA stations, safe houses, logistics hubs and surveillance sites are deliberately kept secret, the precise scope of the damage remains difficult to verify from outside the intelligence community.
A Memo Points To Moscow
An internal memo from a Western intelligence agency concluded that Russia likely played a role in helping target regional CIA facilities, according to an official in the region who has seen the document and discussed it on condition that its authorship not be disclosed. The memo represents one of the more direct pieces of evidence cited so far linking Moscow to the strikes, though officials briefed on the intelligence cautioned that the assessment falls short of a definitive conclusion. Analysts are still weighing whether the Riyadh strike specifically relied on Russian-supplied targeting data or whether it was a byproduct of a broader attack on the embassy compound.
The Riyadh Attack
Two Western officials in the Gulf who were briefed on the intelligence said analysts believe the Riyadh strike involved a pair of Russian-enhanced variants of Iran’s Shahed drones. The first drone punched through a weak point in the embassy’s exterior, the officials said, and the second flew through the breach before detonating. No deaths or injuries were reported in the attack. The tactic — using one drone to open a path and a second to strike through it — has drawn attention from analysts assessing how much outside assistance, if any, shaped Iran’s planning.
Escalating Concerns After The Jordan Strike
Suspicion that Russia may be supplying targeting data to Iran grew sharper after a separate attack over the weekend of July 17-18, when Iran fired ballistic missiles at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, which hosts U.S. troops and aircraft. The strike killed two American service members, Pvt. Isabella Gonzales and 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, and left a third soldier missing before remains were later recovered. U.S. Central Command said the missile and drone attack also forced the medical evacuation of four additional service members. The Pentagon later said nearly 100 U.S. troops have been injured in Iranian strikes across the region since fighting intensified in early July, though officials said the vast majority have already returned to duty.
Russia’s Long History Of Backing Iran
Russian military and technical assistance to Iran is not new, given the close strategic partnership between the two countries. But officials say the apparent targeting of sensitive CIA facilities specifically — rather than broader military infrastructure — would mark a notable escalation, suggesting Moscow may be willing to more directly interfere with U.S. intelligence operations as Washington struggles to bring the wider war with Iran to a close. Officials familiar with the intelligence stressed that Russia’s assistance to Iran throughout the conflict has been well documented, including reports that Moscow has helped supply and upgrade drone systems used against American and allied targets.
The Kometa-M Navigation System
Part of that assistance, according to a separate source, involves a Russian-made satellite navigation system known as the Kometa-M, which Moscow has provided to help Iran improve the accuracy of its Shahed-136 drones. Experts say the system is considerably more precise and more resistant to jamming than the guidance technology Iran produces domestically. The Wall Street Journal first reported in March that Russia had supplied the Kometa-M system to Iran. The Kremlin denied the report at the time, dismissing it as “fake news.”
Doubts Remain Among Analysts
Despite the mounting circumstantial evidence, several of the sources cautioned that Iran may simply have been targeting the U.S. embassy in Riyadh broadly, with the CIA station struck incidentally rather than as a specifically identified target. That uncertainty has complicated efforts to determine whether the strike reflects deliberate Russian-assisted targeting of American intelligence infrastructure or a less precise attack that happened to hit a sensitive site. U.S. intelligence analysts are continuing to examine whether Iran relied on Russian targeting data specifically for the embassy strike, the sources said, though the investigation has not produced a definitive answer.
Who Else Could Have The Means?
Some analysts involved in the assessment have concluded that few countries beyond Russia would have both the technical capability to obtain sensitive targeting intelligence on U.S. facilities and the strategic motivation to weaponize it against American interests, according to the sources. That narrowing of the field has helped drive the current focus on Moscow, even as officials acknowledge the investigation remains open and unresolved.
A Former CIA Officer’s Assessment
Daniel Hoffman, a former CIA station chief and undercover operations officer, said it would not be surprising if Moscow assisted Tehran in targeting CIA facilities, given the depth of the strategic partnership between the two governments. Hoffman said Russia and Iran share an interest in trying to reduce U.S. influence in the regions each considers its own sphere of influence.
No Comment From Washington, Moscow Or Tehran
The White House referred questions about the matter to the CIA, which declined to comment. Iran’s mission to the United Nations, the Russian Defense Ministry and the Saudi government did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations. The lack of public response from any of the three governments involved has left the investigation’s findings, and their implications, largely confined to classified channels for now.
Part Of A Wider Pattern Of Iranian Strikes
The suspected targeting of CIA facilities is one piece of a broader campaign of Iranian retaliatory strikes that has unfolded across the region since the war began in late February. Iran has previously struck American forces in Kuwait, including a March 1 drone attack on a makeshift U.S. operations center near Port Shuaiba that killed six U.S. Army Reserve soldiers, and has launched missiles and drones toward American and allied positions in Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. U.S. and allied air defenses have intercepted the large majority of projectiles fired during the conflict, but the strikes on CIA facilities specifically stand out because of the difficulty of identifying secret intelligence sites without inside knowledge or outside assistance.
What The Investigation Could Mean Going Forward
If U.S. intelligence ultimately confirms that Russia supplied targeting data or technology used specifically against CIA facilities, it would represent one of the clearest signs yet that Moscow is willing to directly assist Iran in operations against American intelligence infrastructure, rather than limiting its support to conventional military targets. Officials familiar with the matter say the investigation is ongoing, with analysts continuing to review satellite imagery, drone wreckage and communications intercepts in an effort to determine the extent, if any, of Russian involvement. No timeline has been given for when the assessment might be finalized.