CENTCOM Commander: We Continue to Stand Side by Side with Our Gulf Partners
US Central Command Commander Brad Cooper affirmed Washington's commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and supporting maritime shipping in cooperation with Gulf partners.
Translated by Qiyas from الأنباء — Original source
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper affirmed the United States’ steadfast commitment to continuing to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, noting that Washington continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with its Gulf partners.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, CENTCOM said this came during Admiral Cooper’s visit to the Strait of Hormuz aboard a U.S. Army helicopter, where he assessed the current operational environment.
Cooper stated in the statement, “We continue to stand alongside our Gulf partners and support the maritime shipping sector,” emphasizing that the main transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz are free of Iranian naval mines.
He clarified that U.S. forces remain fully focused on ensuring the continued flow of commercial navigation “in cooperation with our partners across various U.S. agencies, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and the maritime shipping sector.”
CENTCOM noted in its statement that U.S. forces have assisted Gulf partners in exporting more than 1.5 billion barrels of oil since the summer and supported the passage of over 3,000 commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz over the past six months.
It confirmed that the momentum of ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz has continued in recent months following the successful clearance of naval mines planted by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The statement added that during his visit to the strait, Admiral Cooper met with U.S. military personnel who participated in the mine-clearance mission, expressing his gratitude for their dedication and ongoing commitment.
