Iran hits CIA sites; Russian link eyed

• Sources suggested more facilities were struck but withheld details
• Moscow aids Iran’s Shahed drones with precision satellite systems

Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf have triggered a US intelligence probe into whether Russia provided targeting data or advanced drone technology, according to four people familiar with the matter.

Analysts have not reached firm conclusions but point to the strikes’ precision and Russia’s broader technical support for Iran as possible evidence.

Reuters and other outlets have reported Russian assistance in Iranian strikes on US targets generally, but the inquiry into CIA facilities has not been previously disclosed. At least two CIA sites were hit in March, including the agency’s station inside the US embassy in Riyadh and another in eastern Iraq. Some sources suggested more facilities were struck but withheld details.

An internal Western intelligence memo concluded Russia likely played a role in targeting CIA sites. Two Western officials briefed on reports said Saudi attack involved Russian‑enhanced Shahed drones: one pierced embassy’s exterior, the second detonated inside. No casualties were reported.

Analysts believe Moscow has helped Iran upgrade Shahed drones with satellite navigation systems such as Russia’s Kometa‑M, which is more accurate and harder to jam than Iran’s own.

CIA facilities abroad include embassy stations, safe houses, logistic and surveillance sites, whose locations are closely guarded. Sources declined to specify how many were hit, though one estimated “more than one and fewer than a dozen.”

Some analysts cautioned Iran may have aimed at the embassy generally and struck the CIA station by chance. Others argued few nations beyond Russia have both the capability and motive to weaponize such intelligence. Former CIA station chief Daniel Hoffman said Moscow and Tehran share an interest in reducing US influence in their spheres.