Maritime reconnaissance aircraft P-8A Poseidon belongs to the Navy United States of America (US) detected airing nearby Iraneven back and forth, this week. The detection of this maritime surveillance aircraft coincided with the deployment of large-scale US military assets to the Middle East, specifically near Iran.
US President Donald Trump said in late January that a “huge fleet” and “very large, very powerful” ships were sailing to Iran. He also hopes that the US will not need to use its military assets when Trump considers an attack on Tehran.
The US deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln along with three missile destroyers — USS Frank E Petersen Jr, USS Michael Murphy and USS Spruance — to the Arabian Sea in late January as tensions with Iran escalated. Two US warships were detected sailing near the Strait of Hormuz, another in the Red Sea.
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Amidst the threat of war, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged on Sunday (8/2) that the US was building up a military fleet in the region, but also emphasized: “Their military deployment in the region does not scare us.”
Based on information from open source intelligence (OSINT) Flightradar23, as reported NDTV And airforce-technology.comTuesday (10/2/2026), a US Navy P-8A Posoidon aircraft flew repeatedly on the same route, back and forth, patrolling the maritime area between Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Both countries are located to the south of mainland Iran.
Apart from most of the US military platforms being on land, data from OSINT is considered to show US military efforts to monitor the Persian Gulf, which is also located to the south of Iran.
Not only the P-8A Poseidon, a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, which is an aerial refueling aircraft, was also detected flying briefly near Iran. The movement of the KC-135 aircraft was considered strange.
Patrols by maritime reconnaissance aircraft such as the P-8A Poseidon demonstrate preparation for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, which usually occur before military operations are launched.
The P-8A Poseidon is a US Navy multi-mission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft capable of long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and ISR.
US Releases New Guidelines for Commercial Ships Crossing the Strait of Hormuz
The detection of the maritime surveillance aircraft came almost at the same time as US authorities released new guidelines on Monday (9/2) for commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the main shipping lane for Middle East oil supplies.
In the new guidelines, as reported ReutersMaritime Authorities at the US Department of Transportation advised US-flagged commercial vessels to sail as far away from Iran’s territorial waters as possible, and to verbally refuse requests for permission for Iranian troops to board the vessels, if requested.
“It is recommended that US-flagged commercial vessels transiting these waters remain as far as possible from Iran’s territorial waters, without jeopardizing the safety of navigation,” the latest US guidelines read.
See also the video ‘Trump pressures Iran with warships, expect satisfactory negotiations’:
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(nvc/ita)
date:2026-02-10 05:23:00
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