The United States has effectively blocked Iran’s maritime imports and exports, US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said on Friday, as Washington intensifies efforts to restrict Tehran’s oil revenues and military financing.
In a video statement, Cooper said the US campaign was focused on three objectives: preventing Iranian oil exports, disrupting financial networks and weakening the ability of Iran’s security forces to pay their personnel.
He claimed Iran had been cut off from international maritime trade, with exceptions for humanitarian assistance authorised by Washington.
Cooper said US forces had prevented Iran from exporting at least $25 billion worth of crude oil in recent months, significantly reducing a major source of government revenue.
CENTCOM had also assisted other US agencies in freezing nearly $350 million in cryptocurrency assets allegedly linked to Iranian financing networks, he said.
According to Cooper, the measures were intended to limit Tehran’s ability to finance allied armed groups, replenish military equipment and rebuild facilities destroyed in US operations.
He further claimed that Iran-aligned groups across the Middle East had begun withholding payments to their fighters and redirecting funds to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Cooper said the IRGC itself was experiencing difficulties paying its personnel, describing the situation as evidence of growing financial pressure on Tehran.
“The Islamic regime is clearly feeling the economic pain, and the IRGC is increasingly showing signs of greater desperation as a result,” he said.
Washington says Strait of Hormuz remains open
Despite restrictions on Iranian maritime trade, Cooper insisted that commercial shipping continued through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
He accused Iran of attacking commercial vessels and said US forces were coordinating with regional allies and shipping companies to protect maritime traffic.
“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 the CENTCOM commander, approximately 400 merchant vessels passed through the waterway during the previous seven days.
He also said US forces had helped Gulf partners transport more than 100 million barrels of crude oil through the strait during the same period.
That brought the total volume of oil shipped with US assistance in recent months to more than 1.3 billion barrels, Cooper claimed.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes, connecting Gulf oil producers with international markets.
