US intelligence is investigating whether Russia assisted Iran in drone attacks on CIA sites in the Persian Gulf by providing targeting intelligence or advanced technology, four sources familiar with the US assessments said.
Analysts have not yet reached a final conclusion about possible Russian involvement, but point to the accuracy of the strikes and Moscow's broader technical support for Tehran as possible indications.
According to sources of "Reuters" and other media outlets reported that at least two CIA sites were hit in March - the agency's residency at the U.S. embassy in Riyadh and a separate site in eastern Iraq. Other sources said additional sites were hit, but did not provide details. The locations of such facilities are typically top secret.
An internal Western intelligence report, described by a regional official with access to the document, concluded that Russia likely played a role in the attacks on CIA sites in the region.
Two Western officials said that analysts believe Iran used two Russian-made versions of the "Shahed" drones in the strike on the U.S. embassy in Riyadh. They said one drone punched a hole in the exterior of the building, while the second flew through it and exploded. There were no reports of casualties or injuries.
Intelligence assessments also suggest that Russia may have helped Iran improve the accuracy of its Shahed-136 drones by providing the Kometa-M satellite navigation system, which experts say is more precise and harder to jam than Iranian technology. The Kremlin has dismissed such claims as "fake news."
American analysts are also investigating whether Tehran used Russian data to guide the attacks. However, some sources warn that Iran may have targeted the US embassy as a whole and hit a CIA target by accident.
Former CIA branch chief Daniel Hoffman said such Russian assistance would not be surprising given the strategic partnership between Moscow and Tehran.
"They share an interest in trying to reduce or completely eliminate US influence in their self-defined spheres of influence," he noted.