The CIA has suffered the catastrophic loss of two distinct spy networks in Iran and Lebanon, official sources admit. Dozens of agents have been captured and there are grave fears that they will be executed, ABC News revealed last night.

The loss of intelligence also puts national security at risk, given that the White House believes Iran is on the verge of becoming a nuclear power, and that the Lebanese Hezbollah militia (above) is "the most capable terrorist group in the world", according to the State Department.

Former CIA operations officer Bob Baer said the US is now "flying blind" against two of its most dangerous enemies, and called the loss "a catastrophe".

Washington has refused to comment so far but an official source speaking anonymously confirmed the "setback" and said the operations were "fraught with risk" and that casualties were to be expected.  

There is concern that sloppy spycraft might have allowed the intelligence rings to be uncovered. According to ABC, the CIA became aware of the damage in Iran after a programme on state TV accurately revealed their sources and methods. Iranian officials claimed to have uncovered the ring in May, but this was only admitted yesterday.

In Lebanon, procedural failures allowed Hezbollah agents to infiltrate circles and eventually "roll up" the whole operation.

US agents reportedly met in pizza huts and on well-known beaches. These seemingly casual procedures were exposed by Hezbollah's elite "spy combat unit", which experts believe is among the most effective security agencies in the world. According to CBS News, the unit uses sophisticated US software to track spies, and it "receives between $100 and $200 million per year in funding from Iran".

"Hezbollah's security is as good as any in the world," said Bob Baer. "It's better than the KGB".

It is also known for its ruthlessness. The number of casualties is expected to be significantly greater than when a suicide bomber posed as an informant to kill seven CIA employees in Afghanistan in 2009.

Equally worrying for the US government will be the intelligence gap, particularly on Iran. Rumours of war between Israel and the Shia state are growing over its nuclear programme, and this is the worst possible time for the US to suffer an information blackout. 

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