US probes Russian aid to Iran for Gulf CIA drone strikes

U.S. intelligence agencies are investigating whether Russia provided targeting assistance or advanced drone technology to Iran for a series of drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Persian Gulf region earlier this year, according to multiple people familiar with the intelligence assessments. The investigation, which has not been previously disclosed, focuses on strikes in March that hit at least two CIA-linked sites, including a station inside the U.S. embassy compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and a separate facility in eastern Iraq.

Officials said intelligence analysts have not yet reached a final conclusion regarding Russian involvement. They cited the precision and effectiveness of the strikes, along with Russia's established record of providing technical support to Iran, as factors prompting the inquiry. While U.S. officials have previously acknowledged Russian support for Iranian strikes against American targets in the Gulf generally, the specific probe into assistance for attacks on CIA facilities is new.

According to intelligence reports described by Western officials, the attack on the Riyadh embassy involved a pair of modified Iranian Shahed drones. One drone is...