If CIA Operatives were killed in Iran in the late 1980's it indicates a serious and long term promblem with the CIA not being able to protect their agents.
The CIA *has* lots of terminal, almost-certainly fatal problems, but the only "1980's" figures are editorial comments from the LA Times, not from their source (Perle).
Perle is referring to 1998; the LA Times seems to find that date uncomfortable. They cite "late 1980's or early 1990's."