CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced trip to Moscow on August 25, the first publicly known visit by a sitting CIA chief since 2021, as Washington presses Russia over Ukraine and its ties to Iran. The visit lands amid a fresh US sanctions push on Tehran and a stalled dispute over reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The plane, which appeared to have originated at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, flew through Latvia to Moscow's Vnukovo Airport on August 25 and departed Russia the same day, according to flight-tracking data. US officials confirmed the trip but would not disclose who he met or what was discussed.
It marks the first publicly known visit to Russia by a CIA director since predecessor William Burns met Vladimir Putin in November 2021, three months before Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's ties to Iran draw scrutiny
Regional experts say Ukraine is not the only likely subject. Bradley Bowman, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said he hoped Ratcliffe would press Putin to stop providing satellite launch assistance to Iran and to end the targeting and drone-related support Moscow has extended to Tehran, citing reporting on Russian assistance to Iran's military.
Glen Howard, a Russia expert who chairs the Saratoga Foundation think tank, said the trip's timing points to high stakes: "CIA directors don't go to Moscow unless it is to ask something." The trip also came a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new campaign to cut Iran's remaining economic lifelines.
Hormuz standoff drags on
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said this week it reached an agreement with Oman on their respective shares of the Strait of Hormuz, but it blamed the US for blocking a final deal and said the waterway would stay closed until Washington accepts Tehran's conditions.
Traffic through the strait remains thin: just five commodity vessels transited Hormuz on Tuesday, below the 10-day average of 15, according to preliminary data from Kpler. Brent crude, sensitive to disruptions in this geopolitical risk corridor, fell below $90 a barrel overnight.
Bessent's sanctions push named 60 individuals, entities and vessels. Washington has so far held off on secondary sanctions against China, which buys around 90% of Iran's oil.
Trump claims progress amid market skepticism
President Donald Trump described the campaign against Iran as highly successful, citing both economic and military pressure, in comments to Al Jazeera. Prediction markets remain doubtful of a near-term resolution, with odds of a US-Iran deal that includes reconstruction funding sitting at 15.5%.
Ratcliffe's mission remains unexplained, and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed on Tehran's terms.
Sources: Oilprice.com, CNBC, Crypto Briefing
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