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Iran may have discreetly repositioned strike drones and other military assets under the guise of joint exercises with Russia in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a defense expert’s analysis.
Cameron Chell, a specialist in defense strategies, described this maneuver as a “calculated escalation” amid escalating tensions with the United States. He suggested that the Russian-led military exercises could have offered Iran the opportunity to strategically relocate its drones into more advantageous positions.
In a conversation with Fox News Digital, Chell, who is associated with the defense firm Draganfly, noted that this potential repositioning followed reports of U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones—known for their precision strike capabilities—being spotted in the region.
“The Russian drills along the coastline provide a plausible cover for Iranian forces to discreetly reposition their assets under the pretense of engaging in military exercises,” Chell explained.
These observations by Cameron Chell highlight the complex interplay of military strategies in a region already fraught with geopolitical tensions.
The combined exercises, reported by The Associated Press, also came as President Donald Trump pressed Iran further to make a deal to give up its nuclear weapons ambitions following indirect talks in Geneva.
“We’re going to make a deal, or we’re going to get a deal one way or the other,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday, signaling determination to secure an agreement.
Meanwhile, on Feb. 18, U.S. Central Command posted photos showing F/A-18 Super Hornets landing on the deck of USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.
Iran’s latest moves reportedly follow sightings of U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Flight-tracking data in recent days also showed U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton surveillance drones operating near Iran’s coastline.
One Triton was observed Feb. 14 and another on Feb. 18, conducting high-altitude maritime intelligence missions over the Gulf.
Chell noted the MQ Triton surveillance drone operating near Iran’s coastline.
He added these drones could likely launch from land bases in countries such as Saudi Arabia or Qatar and provide real-time situational awareness to naval commanders.
“The Russian drills would cover for the Iranian forces to move their drones into strike position,” Chell told Fox News Digital. (Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Chell also added the MQ-9 Reaper, capable of precision strikes – and operates between 25,000 and 40,000 feet and is difficult for Iran to counter.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, USS Gerald R. Ford, the second aircraft carrier Trump has sent to the Middle East, and its accompanying ships are heading across the Atlantic Ocean into the Mediterranean Sea.
NATO country and U.S. ally Poland also warned its citizens Thursday to immediately flee Iran, with its prime minister saying the “possibility of a conflict is very real.”