CENTCOM Commander: 400 Commercial Ships Transited the Strait of Hormuz in Two Weeks - Sarmad
Brad Cooper confirms continued restrictions on Iranian trade and the transit of 400 ships through the Strait of Hormuz
Translated by Qiyas from سرمد — Original source
(KUNA) – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Brad Cooper said on Friday that approximately 400 commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz over the past seven days, noting the continued restrictions on Iranian maritime trade and the measures taken to curtail Tehran’s funding sources.
In an operational update via a video posted by CENTCOM on its X (formerly Twitter) account, Cooper stated, “With the exception of humanitarian aid we have allowed to enter, Iran is no longer able to export or import any goods by sea.”
He emphasized, “These measures, taken together, have inflicted severe losses on Iranian security apparatuses – and specifically the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).”
He reported that “in recent months, U.S. Central Command – in close coordination with partners across various U.S. agencies – has delivered significant strikes against the Iranian regime and the IRGC in three critical areas”: “oil exports, digital financing, and the payment of security forces.”
He noted that as a result, “we have so far prevented Iran from exporting crude oil worth at least $25 billion – billions of dollars that would have been used by the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism to fund proxy militias and criminal networks.”
Cooper added that CENTCOM “has supported its partners in other U.S. agencies in freezing cryptocurrency assets valued at nearly $350 million, further constraining Iran’s ability to fund terrorism or replace the weapons and facilities we have destroyed.”
He expressed his belief that “it is evident that the Iranian regime is bearing the brunt of the economic crisis, and the IRGC is showing increasing signs of desperation as a result,” pointing out that “recently, the IRGC has routinely attacked commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, often resulting in the deaths of innocent civilian sailors.”
He affirmed that “the Strait remains open to navigation and trade, with approximately 400 commercial vessels transiting it in the past seven days alone.”
