U.S. intelligence is reportedly investigating whether Russia provided Iran with targeting intelligence or advanced drone technology following Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf.
At least two CIA facilities, including the CIA station at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and another site in eastern Iraq, were struck in March, with sources indicating additional CIA sites may also have been hit, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Concerns that Russia may be providing Iran with targeting intelligence intensified after Iran’s ballistic missile strike on a U.S. base in Jordan killed two American soldiers over the weekend. Iranian drones reportedly struck multiple CIA facilities overseas, according to the report, though officials declined to reveal the exact locations or number of sites, citing national security.
Russia has reportedly helped Iran improve the accuracy of its Shahed-136 drones by supplying the Kometa-M satellite navigation system, which experts say is more precise and harder to jam than Iran’s domestic technology, as per the report.
U.S. intelligence is investigating whether Iran used Russian targeting data in the embassy attack, though analysts have not reached a firm conclusion. While some believe the strike on the CIA facility may have been intentional, others say it could have been accidental. Former CIA official Daniel Hoffman said Russian assistance would be consistent with Moscow and Tehran’s shared goal of weakening U.S. influence.
The CIA did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comments.
Crypto Fuels Drone Supply Chain
In March, a Chainalysis report found that Russia- and Iran-linked actors are increasingly using cryptocurrency to buy commercially available drones and restricted components, helping them bypass export controls through direct payments and third-party e-commerce platforms, such as Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA).
Earlier, European officials had said that Russia had begun supplying Iran with upgraded Shahed-type drones refined during the war in Ukraine, reinforcing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy‘s claims that Moscow is transferring advanced drone technology to Tehran. While the scale of the deliveries remains unclear, the move has raised concerns about Iran’s military capabilities and the broader security balance in the Middle East.
Notably, in June, President Donald Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin for their neutrality during the conflict with Iran and not hindering his attempts to restrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions
Trump said, "I want to thank China, President Xi. I was with him, and he stayed neutral, totally neutral, and I appreciate it," Trump commented. He also thanked Putin, stating, "he was very neutral. They could have made it much more difficult for us."
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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