US intelligence agencies are investigating whether Russia assisted Iran in conducting recent drone attacks against CIA facilities in the Middle East by furnishing targeting information or advanced drone technology, according to Reuters reporting citing multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation.
American officials are examining whether Moscow provided Tehran with intelligence identifying CIA sites or technology that enhanced the effectiveness of the strikes. Both possibilities remain under active review, according to four people familiar with the matter.
The anonymous sources emphasized that no conclusions have been reached. Intelligence analysts are nevertheless examining the precision of the strikes and Russia's established military and technological relationship with Iran to assess whether Moscow provided support.
Two CIA facilities were struck in March, including the agency's station within the US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and another CIA location in eastern Iraq, Reuters reported. Additional CIA sites were also targeted, though sources declined to identify them.
A Western intelligence assessment concluded that Russia likely helped identify CIA facilities. Two Western officials said analysts believe the Riyadh embassy strike involved two Russian-enhanced versions of Iran's Shahed drones, with the first drone breaching the exterior before a second passed through and detonated. No casualties were reported.
Investigators are also reviewing whether Russian targeting data was used in the embassy attack. Some intelligence officials suggested Iran may have intended to strike the embassy itself, with the CIA station hit unintentionally.
Russia has supported Iran's drone program for years and may have significantly improved the accuracy of the Shahed-136 through the Kometa-M satellite navigation system, which is considered more precise and more resistant to electronic jamming than Iran's existing systems.
The White House, CIA, Iran's UN mission, Russia's Defense Ministry, and Saudi Arabia declined to comment or did not respond to inquiries.
Former CIA station chief Daniel Hoffman told Reuters that any Moscow-Tehran cooperation targeting CIA facilities would align with their strategic alliance. "They share an interest in trying to reduce or eliminate US influence altogether in their self-designated spheres of influence," Hoffman said.