CENTCOM chief: US has blocked Iran from exporting $25b worth of oil

By AP 16 October 2026, 11:35 pm

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Adm. Brad Cooper, USN, Commander, US Central Command, appears before a House Committee on Armed Services business meeting on the US Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Greater Middle East and Africa, on Capitol Hill, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

The US has blocked Iran from exporting $25 billion worth of oil through a naval blockade and has helped to freeze $350 million worth of cryptocurrency belonging to the Islamic Republic, the commander of US forces in the Middle East says in a video.

Adm. Brad Cooper, who oversees US Central Command, outlines efforts to pressure Iran as it continues to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had effectively closed the vital oil shipping corridor after the US and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, pushing up global oil prices.

Cooper says US forces are helping ships get through the strait, including 400 merchant vessels over the past week, and have helped usher out more than a billion barrels of oil since the war began.

He says more than 20 civilian mariners have been killed by Iran’s attacks against commercial shipping since February.