Analysts are examining whether Moscow supplied targeting information or advanced technology used in Iranian drone attacks on secret U.S. intelligence sites.
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. intelligence analysts are investigating whether Russia helped Iran strike CIA facilities in the Persian Gulf by supplying targeting information or advanced drone technology, according to people familiar with the intelligence review.
The investigation has not produced a firm conclusion, and officials have not publicly accused Moscow of helping plan the attacks. Analysts are examining the accuracy of the strikes, the technology used and Russia’s broader assistance to Iran during the conflict. The inquiry raises the possibility that cooperation between Moscow and Tehran may have extended to attacks on some of the United States’ most sensitive facilities overseas.
At least two CIA sites were hit in March, according to reports based on interviews with people familiar with U.S. intelligence. One was the CIA station inside the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Another facility was in eastern Iraq. Some sources said other agency sites also may have been struck, but their number and locations have not been disclosed.
Two Western officials briefed on intelligence reports said analysts believe the Riyadh attack involved two modified versions of Iran’s Shahed drones. The officials said one drone pierced part of the embassy’s exterior and another entered through the opening before exploding. No deaths or injuries were reported in that attack.
A Western intelligence memo reviewed by an official in the region concluded that Russia probably played a role in targeting CIA facilities, according to Reuters. The agency that produced the classified assessment was not identified. Other analysts remain less certain and have warned that Iran may have been aiming generally at the U.S. Embassy rather than at the CIA station inside it.
Investigators also are studying whether Russia helped Iran improve the navigation and accuracy of its drones. Officials familiar with the inquiry said Moscow has assisted Tehran with upgrades to Shahed aircraft. One focus is the Kometa-M satellite navigation system, which experts say is more accurate and harder to disrupt than technology previously used in Iranian drones.
The Kremlin denied an earlier report that Russia supplied Iran with the Kometa-M system, describing the account as false. Russia’s Defense Ministry and Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not respond to requests for comment about the latest intelligence review. The Saudi government also did not comment. The White House directed questions to the CIA, which declined to respond.
U.S. officials have previously acknowledged that Russia provided Iran with information that could help it identify American military assets in the region. Officials familiar with that intelligence said the information could assist attacks on U.S. aircraft, ships and other facilities, but they cautioned that there was no evidence Moscow was directing Iran’s decisions or selecting individual targets.
Russia and Iran have expanded their military relationship in recent years. Iran supplied Shahed drones to Russia for use in Ukraine, while Moscow has offered Tehran political and technical support. The investigation into the CIA strikes is examining whether that partnership has moved beyond general intelligence sharing and weapons development into direct assistance against U.S. intelligence operations.
The locations of overseas CIA offices, safe houses and logistics facilities are closely protected. CIA stations are often based inside American embassies, but the details of their operations are not publicly identified. That secrecy makes it difficult to determine whether Iran knew the precise function of the sites it struck or whether the damage resulted from attacks aimed more broadly at U.S. diplomatic compounds.
U.S. analysts continue to review intelligence from the attacks and have not announced when the inquiry may be completed. Until that assessment is finished, Russia’s role in the strikes remains unconfirmed and the extent of any assistance to Iran is unknown.
Author note: Last updated July 23, 2026.