strikeJul 23, 2026

Has Russia helped Iran target CIA sites in the Gulf?

Summary

Has Russia helped Iran target CIA sites in the Gulf? Reports of Iran targeting sites belonging to the US's CIA first emerged in the early days of the US and Israel’s war with Iran. When US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Secretary Sergey Lavrov on Thursday in Manila, on the margins of a summit of Southeast Asian nations, Moscow’s war on Ukraine was officially the top agenda item. But the meeting between Rubio and Lavrov was held under the shadow of fresh reports suggesting that Russia might be playing a more active role than it has publicly acknowledged in Iran’s attacks on United States military sites in the Middle East. Recommended Storieslist of 3 items - list 1 of 3What are ‘civilian’ sites in international law and where have US, Iran hit? - list 2 of 3Can the Suez save Asian oil consumers after Houthis shut Bab al-Mandeb? - list 3 of 3Ukraine’s new military chief pledges to escalate retaliation against Russia Reports of Iran targeting sites belonging to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) first emerged in the early days of the US and Israel’s war on Iran. Three days into the war, on March 3, The Washington Post reported that a CIA station in the US embassy in Riyadh had been targeted, according to two people familiar with the matter. On March 6, CNN reported, citing US intelligence sources, that Moscow had been helping Tehran locate US personnel and aircraft in the Gulf. Now, more recently, the Reuters news agency on Wednesday reported that Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities, specifically on the embassy in Saudi Arabia, had prompted US intelligence to investigate possible Russian involvement, suggesting that the strikes’ effectiveness and precision could suggest possible evidence of support. Nicole Grajewski, an assistant professor at the Centre of International Research at Sciences Po university in Paris, explained that Russian involvement in Iran’s targeting was a “realistic” theory. “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,” Grajewski told Al Jazeera. “Iran doesn’t have great space-based capability, unlike Russia,” she said. “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.” However, she explained that Iran has its own human intelligence-gathering networks that are “often overlooked” when it comes to the targets it selects in the region. Russian support for Iran Amid wars and sanctions, Moscow and Tehran have deepened their military relations. While many analysts have argued that relations between the two countries are less of an alliance and more of a marriage of convenience against the West, Grajewski disagrees. “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,” she said. “They’re much more dependent on each other.” The February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine drew the two sides closer militarily after Tehran provided Moscow with critical weapons, most notably the Shahed drone and the Fateh-110 ballistic missile, to aid in its war efforts. Last year, the two sides signed a 20-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, which had promised to increase defence cooperation. However, The Moscow Times reported Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko saying in an address to the State Duma at the time that the treaty did not mean the “establishment of a military alliance with Iran or mutual military assistance”. Russia has also allegedly helped Tehran improve the accuracy of its Shahed-136s by supplying the Kometa-M anti-jamming navigation system. According to reports in March, debris that was found after an attempted Iranian attack on a British Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Cyprus recovered the Russian system from the wreckage of a Shahed-136 drone. Russia rejected a report by The Wall Street Journal that reported on the Kometa-M system on Iranian drones, calling it “fake news”. Still, Grajewski explained that the US war with Iran serves to benefit Moscow to “some extent” as it diverts attention away from the Ukraine war and has the potential of weakening the US’s global power. “I think the Russians view this as kind of a broader battle for a global order, and they see this as kind of the real cascade that might lead to American decline,” she said. “Obviously, they don’t want to see Iran fall, and so that’s always been this kind of delicate balance between having Iran go at it alone against the United States, but also making sure that Iran has enough support to survive and withstand a very difficult moment in their history, too.” Recent attacks More recently, the US and Iran have intensified their exchange of attacks. US strikes on Iran have continued for the 12th consecutive night, killing at least two people in an attack on the Shalamcheh crossing on the border with Iraq on Thursday morning. Iran has struck back with attacks on multiple Gulf countries and Jordan in recent days. And ultimately, Grajewski said that Iran’s own tactics are proving to have more of an impact on the course of the war than any Russian intelligence help. “Russian involvement isn’t the fundamental tipping point for the Iranians. Iran already had these capabilities; they’ve already developed an extensive drone force, extensive missile force,” she said. “What it did do is give Iran a bit of an edge and improve it.”

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Edna MohamedBy Edna Mohamed
Has Russia helped Iran target CIA sites in the Gulf? Reports of Iran targeting sites belonging to the US's CIA first emerged in the early days of the US and Israel’s war with Iran. When US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Secretary Sergey Lavrov on Thursday in M…

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Crude Oil Skyrockets As Middle East Crisis Deepens With Houthi Attacks On Saudi Tankers

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(RTTNews) - Extending four consecutive sessions of gains, crude oil prices have catapulted on Thursday amid concerns of a wider conflict in the Middle East set off by new attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on two Saudi Arabian tankers in the Red Sea.

WTI Crude Oil for September month delivery was last seen trading up by $92.59 (or 6.63%) at $5.76 per barrel. The conflict between the U.S. and Iran that started on February 28 is yet to show indications for a peaceful resolution. Through a Memorandum of Understanding on June 17, the U.

S. and Iran agreed to settle disputes through peace talks. Following this, Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. permitted Iran to export its crude oil and lifted the blockade on Iranian ports. The easing of tensions did not last long, however.

Within a month of signing the MoU, Iran fired at ships transiting via the Strait of Hormuz for not coordinating with Iranian forces and U.S. forces recommenced their attacks on Iran. In retaliation, Iran struck several U.S. bases in neighboring nations.

As of now, the U.S. military has conducted 12 consecutive nights of strikes against Iran. U.S. Central Command stated that through the attacks, the U.S. intended to degrade Iran's capabilities to conduct any further strikes on ships traveling through the strait.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that the U.S. would target a power plant or a bridge in Iran if it attempts to strike any ship across the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran stated that the conflict would grow broader if the U.S. attempts to hit Iranian infrastructure.

Aside from the verbal exchange of rhetoric, the strait saw no disturbances. Shipping traffic across the Strait of Hormuz has already come to a standstill. According to data from S&P Global, the vessel traffic dropped from 16 on Monday to 10 on Tuesday.

Markets awaited a breakthrough from the attempts by Pakistan in coordination with Qatar to de-escalate tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Against this backdrop, today the Houthi militant group claimed to hit two Saudi Arabian tankers, Encelia and Layla, in the Red Sea with cruise and ballistic missiles as well as drones.

The news caused jitters in the energy markets as today's moves by the Houthis threaten to open a new front in the ongoing gulf war, Millions of barrels of crude oil passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait to reach global markets. The strait, which serves as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, is a strategic link that connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean through the Gulf of Aden.

According to data from S&P Global, the vessel traffic has dropped from 41 on Monday to 29 on Tuesday. Trump announced through Truth Social that if Houthis conduct any further strikes, Iran would suffer a major military punishment as the U.S. would hold Iran responsible for the group's actions.

In the Black Sea, Russia's Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal has halted receiving oil from Kazakhstan due to attacks on tankers that prompted suspension of loadings. Oil production in Kazakhstan declined after the closure of the terminal. In the U.

S., the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $4.09 currently, according to the American Automobile Association. With the exchange of strikes between the U.S. and Iran showing no sign of easing coupled with fresh Houthi attacks, and the resultant higher oil prices, concerns about the risk of a surge in inflation that could force central banks to hike interest rates are increasing.

The U.S. dollar index was last seen trading at 101.47, up by 0.36 (or 0.36%) today. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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Gas, groceries and back-to-school items are where shoppers might see higher oil prices surface

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Oil prices exceeded $100 per barrel on Thursday amid ongoing military actions and regional instability affecting Middle East supplies, according to market reports. Brent crude, the international benchmark, last reached this level in May following a period of lower prices in June.

Sectors including food production and shipping have cited prior energy cost increases, with some businesses indicating they may pass on expenses to consumers.

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Trump vows to punish Houthis for Red Sea attacks, as oil surges over US$100

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US President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that Iran would face major military punishment for Houthi strikes on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. Brent crude prices rose more than 6 percent and exceeded US$100 per barrel amid reports of further US air strikes on Iran and Iranian missile fire toward areas hosting US bases.

Iranian state media reported a missile impact on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz during the fifth month of the conflict.

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Trump “close” to decision on “massive attack” on Iran, says US media outlet

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The US President Donald Trump says he contemplated a massive strike against Iran and this could happen in days. President Trump told Axios, a US media outlet on Thursday that he’s seriously considering restarting major combat operations in Iran — including strikes that would be bigger than the ones carried out during Operation Epic Fury.

In a brief interview, Trump acknowledged that such a decision would have consequences and stressed he hasn’t made a determination yet. Trump didn’t give a deadline for his decision. Two other U.S. officials confirmed no call has been made and no new orders have been given to the military.

The current escalation has caused oil prices to eclipse $100 per barrel. A return to all-out war is highly unpopular in the U.S. “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,” the president said.

Trump said Israel “would join in two minutes if I ask them to,” but added that “we don’t need anybody” to launch a new operation against Iran. He also said there would be “consequences” for Israel joining the strikes, hinting at Iranian retaliation against Israel.

Trump said the Iranians “want to negotiate” but are not ready to make a deal at the moment. “They haven’t received enough pain yet,” he said. Two regional sources with knowledge of mediation efforts said Iranian leadership hasn’t accepted the latest proposal put forward.

“We are trying, but the Iranians are not being helpful,” one of them said. The U.S. has been escalating its attacks over the past 12 days in an effort to stop Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. So far, Iran hasn’t shown any willingness to change course — it, too, has intensified attacks in the region.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have started attacking Saudi ships in the Red Sea, exacerbating tensions in another critical oil shipping route and further destabilizing the global energy market. Trump wrote on his Truth Social account that if the Houthis fire again at ships in the Red Sea, “the U.

S. will hold Iran responsible.” The Houthis, he said, are an Iranian proxy and therefore “major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves.” What to watch: Separately, Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to attend the late Sen.

Lindsey Graham’s wake in Washington next week.

BusinessDay