Russia suspected of helping Iran in attacks on CIA facilities – Reuters

At least two CIA facilities were attacked in March, one of which was a station in Saudi Arabia.

Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Persian Gulf have prompted U.S. intelligence analysts to investigate whether Russia provided assistance in the form of targeting information or advanced UAV technology, four people familiar with U.S. intelligence told Reuters .

Sources emphasized that US intelligence officials have not yet reached final conclusions regarding the possible involvement of the Russian Federation in the attacks on CIA facilities.

However, they pointed to the effectiveness and apparent accuracy of the strikes, as well as the extensive technical support Russia provides to Iran, as possible evidence.

At the same time, Reuters and other media outlets have reported, and US officials have confirmed, that Russia provided Iran with targeting data and other support during its strikes on US targets in the Persian Gulf region, but the intelligence community’s investigation into possible Russian involvement in supporting attacks on CIA facilities has not previously been made public.

In particular, at least two CIA facilities were attacked in March, one of which was a station in Saudi Arabia, located in the US embassy in Riyadh, and another facility was located in eastern Iraq. Some sources reported that other CIA facilities were also attacked, but they did not disclose details.

“An internal Western intelligence memo, reported by a regional official with access to the document, concluded that Russia likely played a role in the attacks on regional CIA facilities,” Reuters added.

Two Western officials in the Gulf also said that the Saudi attack involved two Russian-modified versions of Iranian Shahed drones. They said one of the drones punched a hole in a vulnerable part of the embassy’s outer wall, while the other flew through the hole and exploded. No deaths or injuries were reported at the time.

“While Russia has long provided assistance to Iran, given the close ties between the two countries, the targeted attacks on key CIA sites suggest Moscow is prepared to go further in disrupting U.S. operations as Washington seeks to end a war with Iran. Concerns that Russia may be providing Iran with targeting data were heightened this weekend after strikes on a U.S. air base in Jordan, where Iran fired ballistic missiles at military barracks, killing two soldiers,” the report noted.

(C)UNIAN 2026