The U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf is increasing.
New naval and air assets are being deployed in the area as a deterrent against possible Iranian attacks on Israel. This likely explains the flight we tracked this afternoon: a US Navy Northrop Grumman MQ-4C (reg. 169602) took off from NAS Sigonella and then headed east towards the Persian Gulf.
The drone then turned south, and the signal was lost as the aircraft was descending at 33,000 feet.
It is unclear whether the Triton is being temporarily deployed to a base in the Gulf or if it will return to Sicily, but in any case, it is noteworthy to see it operating in this area.