US says Iran cut off from maritime trade as pressure campaign targets oil revenue

Iran has been cut off from maritime imports and exports, except for humanitarian assistance allowed into the country, US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said Friday, as Washington stepped up pressure on Tehran’s oil revenue and military funding.

In a video message reported by Anadolu Agency, Cooper said US efforts were focused on restricting Iranian oil exports, disrupting digital financing and weakening the ability of Iran’s security forces to pay their personnel.

US forces have prevented Iran from exporting at least $25 billion worth of crude oil in recent months, Cooper said.

CENTCOM has also supported US government partners in freezing nearly $350 million in digital cryptocurrency assets, he said, adding that the measures further constrain Iran’s ability to fund terrorism or replace weapons and factories destroyed by the United States.

Cooper claimed that Iran-aligned groups operating across the region had started withholding payments to their fighters to redirect funds to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He said the IRGC was also struggling to pay its personnel.

“The Islamic regime is clearly feeling the economic pain, and the IRGC is increasingly showing signs of greater desperation as a result,” Cooper said.

US says Strait of Hormuz remains open

Despite the restrictions on Iran’s maritime trade, commercial shipping has continued through the Strait of Hormuz, Cooper said. He accused Iran of attacking commercial vessels and said US forces were working with regional allies and shipping industry partners to strengthen maritime security.

“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.

About 400 merchant ships had passed through the strait in the previous seven days, he said.

Cooper added that US forces had helped Gulf partners transport more than 100 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway during the same period. The total volume shipped with US assistance in recent months had exceeded 1.3 billion barrels, he said.