U.S. intelligence agencies are investigating whether Russia provided Iran with targeting intelligence or advanced drone technology used in attacks on CIA facilities in the Persian Gulf region, according to a Reuters report.
Investigators have not reached a definitive conclusion, but the precision and effectiveness of the strikes, coupled with allegations of Russian technical assistance to Tehran, have raised suspicions about Moscow’s potential involvement.
At least two CIA facilities were targeted during attacks in March. One of the locations was the agency’s station inside the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while the second facility was located in eastern Iraq.
According to two Western officials familiar with intelligence assessments, the strike on the embassy may have involved upgraded versions of Iran’s Shahed drones incorporating Russian technology. No casualties or injuries were reported in the attack.
U.S. officials are also examining claims that Russia assisted Iran in improving the accuracy of its drones and enhancing their ability to resist electronic jamming systems. Moscow has denied reports that it supplied Tehran with the Russian Kometa-M satellite navigation system.
However, intelligence sources cautioned that it remains possible Iran was broadly targeting the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and unintentionally struck the section housing the CIA station.
The report comes as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Manila, where the two discussed international security issues. Following the meeting, Rubio said the United States remains prepared to play a constructive role in efforts to help end the war in Ukraine.
The allegations, if confirmed, would mark a significant escalation in military cooperation between Russia and Iran and could further strain already tense relations between Washington and Moscow.
