Did Putin help Iran target CIA bases? US probes Russia's role in Gulf drone strikes

The United States intelligence community is investigating whether Russia assisted Iran in targeting CIA facilities in the Gulf by providing advanced drone technology or intelligence used in the attacks.

According to a Reuters report citing four people familiar with the ongoing assessments, the US officials have not reached a definitive conclusion on whether Moscow directly supported the operations. However, intelligence analysts are examining whether the accuracy and effectiveness of the Iranian drone strikes, coupled with Russia’s broader military and technical cooperation with Tehran, point to possible Russian involvement, Reuters reported.

The investigation marks the first known effort by US intelligence agencies to determine whether Russia specifically played a role in attacks on CIA-linked facilities. This aspect has not previously been made public. Reuters had earlier reported that US officials acknowledged Russia’s support for Iranian strikes against American targets in the Gulf. Still, the latest inquiry focuses on whether that assistance extended to covert intelligence sites.

According to Reuters and other reports, at least two CIA-linked locations were hit by Iranian drones in March. One of the sites was reportedly a CIA station operating within the US embassy compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while another was located in eastern Iraq.

People familiar with the matter told Reuters that additional CIA facilities may also have been targeted, although they declined to identify the locations because of the sensitive nature of the operations.

The report also said that a Western intelligence memo reviewed by officials in the region concluded that Russia had likely helped Iran identify or target CIA facilities. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the classified nature of the intelligence.

US intelligence agencies are also investigating whether Iran relied on Russian-provided targeting data during the drone attack on the US embassy compound in Riyadh. Officials cautioned that the inquiry remains ongoing and no final assessment has yet been made regarding Moscow’s level of involvement.

If confirmed, the findings could further deepen tensions between Washington and Moscow at a time when Russia and Iran have expanded their military cooperation amid broader regional instability.