The United States has been conducting attacks in Iran for twelve consecutive days, and Iran is retaliating in kind. Through small-scale yet precision strikes, Iran is inflicting damage on U.S. interests. This has raised the question: is Iran acting solely on its own capabilities, or is another superpower involved? While Iran and the United States are at the forefront of this Middle East conflict, numerous other parties are involved behind the scenes; China and Russia face allegations of assisting Iran.
U.S. intelligence analysts are specifically investigating whether Russia provided targeting data or advanced drone technology to aid Iranian drone strikes on CIA facilities in the Gulf region. Four individuals familiar with national security matters stated that U.S. intelligence officials have not yet reached a definitive conclusion regarding Russia’s potential involvement in the attacks on CIA facilities. However, suspicions have arisen due to the effectiveness of the strikes, the precision with which targets were hit, and the general technical support Russia provides to Iran. Reuters reported this development. Previous reports by Reuters and other media outlets—acknowledged by U.S. officials—have indicated that Russia provided targeting data and other forms of assistance for Iranian attacks on U.S. infrastructure in the Gulf. However, this marks the first time news of an intelligence community investigation into Russian assistance regarding attacks on CIA facilities has surfaced.
Various sources indicate that attacks were carried out against at least two CIA facilities last March. One was a CIA station located at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the other was situated in eastern Iraq. Some sources reported that additional CIA facilities were also targeted, though details were not disclosed. Citing an internal memo from a Western intelligence agency, a regional official stated that Russia likely played a role in identifying the regional CIA facilities. Two Western officials in the Gulf, briefed on the intelligence reports, stated that analysts believe two variants of the Iranian “Shahed” drone—developed with Russian assistance—were used in the Riyadh attack. One drone breached a sensitive area outside the embassy, while a second entered through that opening and exploded.
No casualties were reported in the incident. While Russia’s support for Iran is long-standing due to their close ties, the targeting of a sensitive CIA facility suggests that Moscow is prepared to go to greater lengths to disrupt U.S. operations—even as Washington struggles to end conflicts involving Iran. Concerns regarding Russia sharing targeting data with Iran have intensified following a ballistic missile attack on a U.S. airbase in Jordan earlier this week that killed two soldiers. The White House referred requests for comment to the CIA, but the agency declined to comment. Iran’s mission to the United Nations, the Russian Defense Ministry, and the Saudi government also did not respond to requests for comment. Two Western officials in the region stated that Russia has helped Iran enhance the ability of its Shahed drones to reach their targets. Another source indicated that Russia helped improve the effectiveness of Shahed-136 drones by supplying the “Kometa-M” satellite navigation system; this system is far more precise than Iran’s indigenous technology and is difficult to jam. Although The Wall Street Journal first reported the supply of Kometa-M systems last March, the Kremlin dismissed the report as fake news. CIA operations abroad include headquarters located within embassies—known as “stations”—as well as safe houses, logistics hubs, and surveillance centers, the locations of which are kept strictly confidential. Declining to specify the exact number of targeted facilities, a source stated that the figure is greater than one but fewer than twelve. U.S. intelligence analysts are investigating whether Iran relied on Russian data to carry out the attack on the Riyadh embassy.
However, there is also skepticism regarding this theory. Some have cautioned that Iran might have been targeting the U.S. embassy complex more broadly, and the strike on the CIA station could have been accidental. On the other hand, some analysts believe that few countries other than Russia possess both the capability and the inclination to gather such sensitive intelligence regarding the United States. Daniel Hoffman, a former CIA station chief and undercover operations officer, states that given the close strategic partnership between Russia and Iran, it is not at all surprising that Moscow would assist in an attack on a CIA facility; both nations share a common interest in diminishing or completely eliminating U.S. influence within their respective spheres of influence.
