American military forces advancing toward the Middle East might encounter significant challenges from Iranian drone swarms, as recent intelligence suggests Iran’s supreme leader has retreated from public view. This insight comes from a prominent expert in military drones.

Cameron Chell, who serves as CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, cautioned that Iran’s increasing dependence on affordable unmanned aerial systems represents a genuine threat to valuable U.S. naval assets. This includes the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group.

“Iran’s drone capabilities are valued at several tens of millions of dollars,” Chell shared with Fox News Digital.

He explained that by combining low-cost explosives with budget-friendly delivery systems, essentially drones operated remotely, Iran has crafted a potent asymmetric threat against the advanced military technologies of its adversaries.

In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, a RIM-7P NATO Sea Sparrow Missile is seen launching from the USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, during a live-fire exercise on August 13, 2007, out at sea. (Photo by M. Jeremie Yoder/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

Chell said Iran can launch large numbers of relatively unsophisticated drones directly at naval vessels, creating saturation attacks that could overwhelm traditional defenses.

“If hundreds are launched in a short period of time, some are almost certain to get through,” Chell said.

“Modern defense systems were not originally designed to counter that kind of saturation attack. For U.S. surface vessels operating near Iran, warships are prime targets.”

The warning comes as a senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group had not yet crossed into U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility in the Indian Ocean.

“It is close, but technically not in CENTCOM yet,” the source said. This would indicate the carrier strike group is not yet in a position to strike Iran.

U.S. officials say Washington is reinforcing its military posture in response to growing instability inside Iran, boosting its presence by air, land and sea, while closely monitoring developments in Syria.

An American F-15EX in action. (U.S. Air Force)

A squadron of F-15 fighter jets has deployed to the region, and C-17 aircraft carrying heavy equipment have arrived.

Once the aircraft carrier strike group enters the CENTCOM area of operations, which should be soon, it will still take several days before the strike is fully on station.

Chell noted that U.S. and allied militaries are rapidly developing defenses but uncertainty over new capabilities on the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier groups for managing multiple Iranian drones flying in formation remains.  He emphasized that Iran’s drone fleet is a concern.

“These drones give Iran a very credible way to threaten surface vessels,” he said. “U.S. assets in the region are large, slow-moving and easily identifiable on radar, which makes them targetable.”

“Iran’s strength lies instead in these low-cost, high-volume drone systems—particularly one-way strike drones designed to fly into a target and detonate.”

Chell explained that Iran gained an early advantage in what are known as Category One and Category Two drone systems—low-cost platforms that can be produced in large numbers and used effectively in asymmetric warfare.

Iranian opposition group exposed a top-secret drone base in the country. It is said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei oversees the operation.  (Getty Images/NCRI)

“Category Three systems are a completely different matter,” he said. “In that area, Iran is decades behind the United States.”

The U.S. military buildup coincides with widespread unrest inside Iran. Protests erupted Dec. 28 amid mounting public discontent.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said the casualty figures had reached 5,459 as of Sunday, with 17,031 cases under investigation.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been reported to have moved into a fortified underground shelter in Tehran after senior officials assessed an increased risk of a potential U.S. strike, according to reports.

President Donald Trump also addressed the deployment on Jan. 21, telling reporters, “We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. We have a big force going towards Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”