Iran covertly repositions strike drones amid Russia drills in Strait of Hormuz, expert says

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Iran repositioned strike drones and other military assets under the cover of joint drills with Russia in the Strait of Hormuz Thursday, a defense expert claimed.

In what he described as a “calculated escalation” amid rising tensions with the U.S., Cameron Chell said Iran’s latest move also followed reports of sightings of U.S.MQ-9 Reaper drones with precision strike capabilities in the region.

“The Russian drills would cover for the Iranian forces to movetheir drones into strike position,�“They’ve gone under the veil of doing the military exercises, which happened to be along the coastline, and this is an escalation.”

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Defense expert Cameron Chell has called Iran’s military moves with Russia a “calculated escalation.” (Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The combined exercises, reported by TheAssociated 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 tomake 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.

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MQ-9 Reaper drone with an American flag in the background.

Iran’s latest moves reportedly follow sightings of U.S.MQ-9 Reaper drones.(John Moore/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, on Feb.18, U.S.Central Command posted photos showingF/A-18 Super Hornetslanding on the decks of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.

Flight-tracking data in recent days also showedU.S.Navy MQ-4C Tritonsurveillance 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.

“The U.S.deployed an MQ Triton drone, which is a surveillance drone, so it does not have strike capability, and it typically flies at around 50,000 feet,” Chell said.

He added the drones would likely launch from land bases in countries such asSaudi Arabiaor Qatar and provide real-time situational awareness to naval commanders.

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“The Russian drills would cover for the Iranian forces to move their drones into strike position,�(Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“These drones can guide the U.S.on Iranian forces performing exercises with the Russians and where they might be moving equipment to,” Chell said before describing how they fly them “at an altitude so that the Iranians can see it so they become a deterrent.”

Chell also said an MQ-9 Reaper drone was deployed, which he said can fly between 25,000 and 40,000 feet.

“This has strike capability, but Iranians do not have great capability to take these down,” he added.

com/politics/worlds-largest-aircraft-carrier-heads-middle-east-iran-nuclear-tensions-spike-dramatically" target="_blank" rel="noopener">theUSS 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.

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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 conflictis very real.”

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