Russia’s Role Probed in Iran’s CIA Drone Strikes
WASHINGTON/RIYADH: U.S. intelligence analysts are investigating whether Russia helped Iran carry out drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf by providing targeting information or advanced drone technology, according to four people familiar with the matter cited by Reuters.
The sources, who spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the issue, said investigators have not reached any firm conclusions. However, they noted the precision and effectiveness of the attacks, along with Russia’s longstanding military and technical cooperation with Iran, as factors driving the inquiry.
Reuters reported that at least two CIA facilities were struck in March. One was the CIA station located within the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while another was a site in eastern Iraq. Some sources indicated additional CIA facilities were targeted but declined to provide further details.
An internal assessment by a Western intelligence agency reportedly concluded that Russia likely played a role in helping identify CIA targets. Two Western officials briefed on intelligence findings said analysts believe the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh involved two Russian-enhanced versions of Iran’s Shahed drones. According to the officials, one drone breached a vulnerable section of the embassy’s exterior, allowing a second drone to enter through the opening before detonating. No casualties were reported.
Officials said concerns about Russian involvement have intensified following recent Iranian strikes on U.S. positions in the region, including a ballistic missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan that killed two American soldiers.
The White House referred questions to the CIA, which declined to comment. Iran’s mission to the United Nations, Russia’s Defense Ministry and the Saudi government did not respond to requests for comment.
Western officials also said Russia has helped improve the range and precision of Iran’s Shahed drones. Intelligence analysts suspect the Riyadh attack used upgraded variants equipped with Russia’s Kometa-M satellite navigation system, which experts say offers greater accuracy and stronger resistance to electronic jamming than Iran’s indigenous systems.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Russia supplied the Kometa-M system to Iran, a claim the Kremlin dismissed as “fake news.”
U.S. analysts are also examining whether Russia provided specific targeting data for the embassy strike. Some intelligence officials cautioned that Iran may have intended to hit the U.S. Embassy generally and only coincidentally struck the CIA station.
Still, some analysts believe few countries other than Russia possess both the capability and motivation to provide such sensitive intelligence for attacks on U.S. facilities.
Former CIA station chief Daniel Hoffman said closer Russian support for Iranian operations would be consistent with the two countries’ strategic partnership, arguing they share a common objective of reducing U.S. influence in the region.
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