Russia accused of aiding Iran in targeting CIA sites in Middle East

Fresh reports indicate a potential deepening of military ties between Russia and Iran, with Moscow allegedly aiding Tehran in its operations against U.S. targets in the Middle East. This comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Russian Foreign Secretary Sergey Lavrov, with the war in Ukraine officially topping the agenda.

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This was kind of what was suspected because a lot of the attacks that Iran did were far more advanced than what they’ve done before.

Specifically, allegations suggest Russia may be helping Iran locate U.S. military sites, including a CIA station within the U.S. embassy in Riyadh. U.S. intelligence sources cited by CNN reported that Moscow has been assisting Tehran in identifying U.S. personnel and aircraft in the Gulf region. Reuters further reported that the precision of recent Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities has led U.S. intelligence to investigate possible Russian support.

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Iran doesn’t have great space-based capability, unlike Russia.

Nicole Grajewski, an assistant professor at Sciences Po university in Paris, described the theory of Russian involvement as "realistic." She noted that Iran's recent attacks have shown an advancement beyond its typical capabilities, suggesting a need for external support. "Iran doesn't have great space-based capability, unlike Russia," Grajewski explained, implying that a deal with Russia for satellite intelligence is plausible. However, she also acknowledged that Iran possesses its own human intelligence networks that are often overlooked.

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Compared to Russia, Iran doesn’t have enough military-grade satellites for basic stuff… it seems likely that they struck some of the deal with the Russians.

The deepening military relationship between Russia and Iran is seen by some analysts as a "marriage of convenience" against the West. Grajewski, however, disagrees, stating that both nations perceive themselves as facing similar threats globally. Their cooperation has intensified significantly since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, making them increasingly interdependent.

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They both have kind of viewed themselves as actors that are facing kind of similar threats on the global stage, and their cooperation has really intensified since the war in Ukraine, and even more so recently.