17/10/2026
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17/10/2026
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WASHINGTON, Oct 17 : US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper claimed Friday that Iran has been effectively cut off from maritime imports and exports, except for permitted humanitarian assistance, as Washington intensifies its campaign to restrict Tehran’s oil revenues and military funding.
In a video message, Cooper said the US campaign was focused on three areas: restricting Iranian oil exports, disrupting digital financial networks and undermining the ability of Iran’s security forces to pay their personnel.
“As a point of emphasis, with the exception of the humanitarian assistance we've allowed in, Iran has no exports and no imports by sea,” Cooper said.
He claimed that US forces had prevented Iran from exporting at least $25 billion worth of crude oil in recent months, dealing a significant blow to a major source of revenue for Tehran.
CENTCOM has also supported other US government agencies in freezing nearly $350 million in cryptocurrency assets, Cooper said.
The measures, he added, were intended to further restrict Iran’s ability to finance what Washington describes as terrorism and to replace weapons and factories destroyed in US military operations.
Iran-backed groups reportedly withholding fighter payments
Cooper also claimed that Iran-aligned armed groups operating across the region had begun withholding payments to their fighters to redirect funds to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
He said the IRGC itself was showing signs of financial strain and was struggling to pay its personnel.
“The Islamic regime is clearly feeling the economic pain, and the IRGC is increasingly showing signs of greater desperation as a result,” Cooper said.
The claims could not be independently verified from the information provided.
US says Strait of Hormuz remains open
Despite the restrictions on Iranian maritime trade, Cooper maintained that commercial shipping continued through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy transit route.
He accused Iran of attacking commercial vessels and said US forces were working with regional allies and shipping industry partners to strengthen maritime security.
“Let me be clear: the Strait of Hormuz is controlled by the United States and our regional partners, not Iran, and it remains open for business,” Cooper said.
According to Cooper, approximately 400 merchant vessels had transited the strait during the preceding seven days.
He further said US forces had assisted Gulf partners in transporting more than 100 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway over the same period.
The cumulative volume of crude oil shipped with US assistance in recent months had exceeded 1.3 billion barrels, he added.
Cooper’s remarks underscore Washington’s efforts to combine maritime restrictions, financial measures and military pressure to weaken Iran’s ability to generate revenue and sustain its military and regional network of allied armed groups.
