Fourteen Russian spy satellites moved over a U.S. military base in Saudi Arabia two days before a devastating Iranian attack, a CNN investigation has found. U.S. officials and international intelligence sources say the timing and sequencing of those spacecraft gave Iran access to a broad range of intelligence data, enabling some of its most precise strikes against American assets.

The apparent collaboration between Russian satellite technology and Iranian rockets came into focus at Prince Sultan Air Base, a facility near Riyadh where the U.S. has maintained a strategic presence for decades.

The March 27 attack

Iran struck the base on March 27 in a major attack that injured 12 U.S. personnel and wreaked havoc on the installation. Iranian state media released imagery showing damage to the base.

Two U.S. officials and additional international intelligence sources told CNN they have evidence that Russian satellites fed targeting intelligence to Iran, aiding at least some of the precision strikes. According to those sources, the scale of the damage and the accuracy of the strikes would have been nearly impossible without Russian geospatial intelligence.

What the satellites collected

CNN analyzed orbital data with help from space technology experts Project Aurora and Kayhan Space, tracking the satellites and assessing their visibility over the base.

The analysis found that 14 Russian spy satellites — including Cosmos 2573, one of Russia’s elite intelligence-gathering spacecraft — passed over Prince Sultan Air Base in a sequence that gave them access to a wide spectrum of military data. According to CNN’s analysis, the spacecraft moved in both a precise sequence and with an optimal view to collect what analysts describe as rich, multi-sensory intelligence.

The satellites covered distinct intelligence-gathering functions:

• Cosmos 2573 captured deep, detailed military-grade satellite imagery
• Eight signal satellites intercepted radio and radar emissions, capable of locating air defense systems
• Two infrared satellites detected heat signatures, including those from rocket launchers
• Three synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites penetrated clouds and darkness to flag physical changes on the ground — including the repositioning of movable assets

Among those assets: an Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft, known as an AWAC — described as America’s eyes in the skies in the Middle East and worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The AWAC was not in its pre-war location when Iran struck on March 27. Iran destroyed it.

‘Russian payback with interest’

CNN’s Tamara Qiblawi reported that the March 27 attack was not an isolated incident. Sources broadly suspect that Russian satellites provided Iran with targeting information multiple additional times during the course of the conflict, including at a CIA facility in the Saudi capital.

There is some debate among U.S. officials over just how consequential Russian support has been, Qiblawi noted.

Dr. Nawaf Obaid, a senior fellow at King’s College, said the Russian intelligence support fundamentally shaped the course of the war.

“We wouldn’t be in this situation today. The war wouldn’t be where it is today if it wasn’t for the unique capabilities that the Russians gave to the Iranians,” Obaid said.

Obaid framed Russia’s assistance as retaliation for U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine. “This is Russian payback with interest,” he said. “It’s monumental in terms of the consequences of what this has done to, not just to the US standing in the region, but to the security architecture of the region going forward.”

Russia has denied the allegations, calling the reporting fake news.