US Admiral says Iran 'significantly weaker' after strikes
Washington, May 20
Admiral Brad Cooper on defended the Trump administration's military campaign against Iran, telling lawmakers that Tehran's military capabilities had been "significantly degraded" following weeks of US-led operations across the Middle East.
Appearing before the House Armed Services Committee, the commander of US Central Command repeatedly argued that Operations "Epic Fury" and "Midnight Hammer" had dismantled much of Iran's ability to project power across the region.
"We are unquestionably safer as a result of US military actions," Cooper said during sharp exchanges with lawmakers.
The hearing came amid growing political scrutiny over the nearly three-month conflict with Iran, rising oil prices and the continuing disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Cooper told lawmakers the US military had "significantly degraded Iran's ballistic missiles and drones while destroying 90 per cent of their defence industrial base, ensuring that Iran cannot reconstitute for years."
He said Iran's regional proxy network had also been severely weakened.
"Today, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis are cut off from Iran's weapons supply and support," Cooper testified.
According to Cooper, Iran-backed groups had attacked US troops and diplomats more than 350 times over the past two-and-a-half years before the latest military campaign began.
The Centcom commander also defended the continuing US naval blockade around Iran, describing it as a major source of leverage in ongoing negotiations.
"To date, we've turned away 88 ships," he said. "There has been zero trade into Iranian ports and zero trade out of Iranian ports."
Cooper argued that the blockade and sustained military pressure were imposing severe economic costs on Tehran.
But Democratic lawmakers repeatedly challenged his assessment, arguing that despite the military operations, Iran still retained the ability to disrupt global commerce through the Strait of Hormuz.
Representative Adam Smith said the broader strategic picture had deteriorated.
"We are in a disaster right now," Smith said. "The regime is in place. It's not going anywhere."
Lawmakers also pressed Cooper on civilian casualty allegations linked to US strikes inside Iran, including a reported strike on a girls' school in Minab.
Cooper acknowledged that an investigation into the incident was continuing but insisted the US military followed the law of armed conflict.
"The United States does not deliberately target civilians. Period. Full stop," he said.
"We follow the law of armed conflict to the tee," he said.
The admiral also highlighted the role played by US allies and Gulf partners during the campaign, calling the regional military coordination unprecedented.
"We literally served side by side in this broad Middle East air defence network with five Middle East partners," Cooper said, citing Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Kuwait.
Cooper said the US military remained fully prepared for further contingencies if negotiations with Tehran failed.
"As I sit here, we're clear-eyed," he said. "The situation in front of us is complex."
— IANS
Reader Comments
The Admiral says they don't target civilians but there's an investigation into a girls' school strike in Minab. That's a major red flag. You can't just bomb schools and say "we follow the law of armed conflict". Someone needs to be held accountable for civilian casualties.
The Gulf nations cooperating with US is interesting - Saudi, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait all working together. But will this regional stability last? India has deep ties with Iran through Chabahar port and also with Gulf countries. We need to balance relationships carefully. The rising oil prices are hurting our common man. 😟
"Zero trade into Iranian ports and zero trade out" - that's a total blockade. This is collective punishment of an entire nation. The Iranian people are suffering because of their government's policies. But is this approach really making the world safer? Seems like escalation to me.
The Congressman said it right - "We are in a disaster right now. The regime is in place. It's not going anywhere." Military action alone won't solve this. Look at what happened in Afghanistan. As Indians, we know the value of diplomacy over war. We need de-escalation before the whole region goes up in flames. 🔥
The Admiral says they've degraded 90% of Iran's defence industrial base but Iran still has proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis. And those proxies are "cut off" from Iran - for now. What happens when they reconstitute? This feels like a temporary victory. India should be preparing for
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.