The commander of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, says the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is no longer patrolling the Strait of Hormuz because “Iran’s navy is all at the bottom of the sea”, and that US forces have helped Gulf partners export more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since the summer.
Cooper made the remarks in a two-and-a-half-minute video update that CENTCOM shared on X on the evening of October 30, 2026, Malaysia time. He said he had visited some of the more than 50,000 US service members supporting operations across the Middle East earlier in the week, including the mission in the strait.
“When I flew over the Strait, I saw dozens of commercial vessels transiting, all types: cargo, crude oil, liquid natural gas, or LNG,” Cooper said. “And I also saw our US assets in the air and on the water, including a squadron of advanced sea drones that were on patrol supporting a defensive layer.”
‘I didn’t see the IRGC’
“Here’s what I didn’t see. I didn’t see the IRGC out there at all,” he said. “They patrolled the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters for decades, harassing and threatening and seizing commercial vessels at will. But they were not out there because Iran’s navy is all at the bottom of the sea.”
Cooper said that after the US sank Iran’s navy earlier this year, its forces also cleared the strait’s internationally recognised primary transit routes of Iranian sea mines, and that they remain present to ensure those routes stay “free and clear”.
Blockade on Iranian ports
“This week, we reached a significant milestone, having now assisted Gulf partners in exporting more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since summer,” he said, adding that the effort had been coordinated with regional partners, other US government agencies and the shipping industry. “Meanwhile, we’ve prevented Iran from exporting any oil because of the ironclad blockade on Iranian ports.”
Cooper said he met the teams who carried out the mine clearance mission and who continue to protect commercial shipping while the blockade is enforced. “It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve alongside them,” he said. “To all our service members, keep up the great work.”
Cooper said America’s service members in the region had shown “relentless commitment, dedication, and courage” since day one, and that he could not be prouder as their commander.
Tensions in the waterway remain high. On the same day, the IRGC Navy said it had stopped two tankers trying to transit the strait through what it called unauthorised routes, claiming they were operating with support from the US military, Anadolu Agency reported. Iran’s navy also said it had destroyed an “enemy unmanned vessel” east of the strait, a claim CENTCOM later rejected as false. The news aggregator BRICS News also highlighted Cooper’s comments on X.
Diplomatic efforts are continuing alongside the military standoff. Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday for further talks, while US officials have warned of possible renewed military operations after the November 3 midterm elections, Iran International reported.
Source : US CENTCOM, with reporting from Anadolu Agency and Iran International.
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