US intelligence agencies are investigating whether Russia played a role in recent Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf by providing targeting intelligence or advanced drone technology, according to four people familiar with the matter. While officials have not reached definitive conclusions, analysts are examining the strikes’ precision and effectiveness alongside Moscow’s broader military and technical support for Tehran, as cited by Reuters. US officials have previously acknowledged that Russia provided targeting intelligence and other support for Iranian strikes on US targets across the Gulf. However, the intelligence community’s investigation into Moscow’s possible role in facilitating attacks on CIA facilities has not been publicly disclosed until now.An internal memo from a Western intelligence agency, cited by a regional official with access to the document, assessed that Russia likely played a role in helping target CIA facilities in the Gulf. The official spoke on condition of anonymity and declined to identify the agency that authored the assessment.Two Western officials in the Gulf, who said they had been briefed on intelligence reports, told reporters that analysts believe the attack on the US facility in Saudi Arabia involved two Russian-enhanced variants of Iran’s Shahed drones. According to their account, one drone breached a vulnerable section of the compound’s exterior, allowing a second drone to enter through the opening before detonating. No casualties were reported.While Russia has long provided military and technical support to Iran, officials said any direct involvement in targeting sensitive CIA facilities would mark a significant escalation, suggesting Moscow may be prepared to play a more active role in undermining US intelligence operations as Washington seeks to end the conflict with Iran. At least two CIA facilities were targeted in March, according to Reuters and other media reports. One of the sites was the CIA station housed within the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while another was located in eastern Iraq.Several sources said additional CIA facilities were also struck, but declined to provide further details about the locations or extent of the attacks.
Russia helped upgrade Iran’s Shahed drones
Two Western officials in the Gulf said Russia had helped Iran improve the range and strike capabilities of its Shahed drones, with intelligence analysts believing these enhanced variants were used in the attack on the US facility in Riyadh.A separate source said Moscow had also assisted Tehran in upgrading the accuracy of its Shahed-136 drones by supplying the Kometa-M satellite navigation system, which experts say is significantly more precise and more resistant to electronic jamming than Iran’s domestically developed navigation technology.The Wall Street Journal first reported in March that Russia had supplied Iran with the Kometa-M satellite navigation system to enhance the accuracy of its Shahed drones. The Kremlin dismissed the report at the time, calling it “fake news.”CIA facilities overseas include the agency’s main country offices, known as stations, which are typically housed within US embassies. Beyond these, the agency also operates safe houses, logistics hubs and other covert sites used for surveillance, intelligence gathering and operational activities.
