Iran Accuses CENTCOM Chief of Directing Oil Smuggling Through Hormuz
(MENAFN) A senior Iranian security official has accused the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Adm. Brad Cooper, of overseeing alleged oil-smuggling operations through the Strait of Hormuz with support from the United Arab Emirates military.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, made the allegations during an interview with Iranian state-run media over the weekend. He claimed that Cooper was directing a network in which five or six small boats transferred oil to larger tankers operating in the strategic waterway.
Rezaei alleged that Iranian forces had been attacking vessels connected to these activities on a nightly basis for the past two or three months. He estimated that five or six boats involved in the alleged operations had been targeted each night.
Neither Washington nor Abu Dhabi had immediately responded to the accusations.
The Iranian official also disputed US President Donald Trump’s statement that the Strait of Hormuz was open, maintaining that Tehran continued to exercise authority over the key maritime passage. He said Iran intended to retain control over how the waterway was managed, presenting the policy as necessary to preserve regional stability.
“From now on, therefore, we will maintain control over the management of the Strait of Hormuz. It will remain under our management to ensure peace and security in the region. We will not back down on this issue,” he said.
Rezaei further claimed that shipping activity through the strait remained substantially below levels recorded before the war. He accused the United States and its regional partners of relying on alleged smuggling networks to transport oil through the waterway despite the ongoing dispute over maritime access.
The Iranian official also issued a warning concerning US-linked technology infrastructure across the region, saying such facilities could become targets if Washington launched another attack against Iran. He specifically referred to undersea cables, data centers, artificial intelligence facilities and other technology-related sites.
“We have not yet included these assets among our targets. But if war breaks out, many of these cables, data centers, artificial intelligence facilities and numerous other sites will be destroyed,” he said.
Rezaei valued the infrastructure he referenced at more than $2 trillion, although he did not provide further details supporting that estimate.
He also said Iran was prepared to introduce additional military capabilities should hostilities resume, signaling that Tehran was continuing to prepare for the possibility of another confrontation.
“Today, we are fully prepared to introduce new capabilities if the war starts again,” he said.
The allegations come amid continuing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for international energy shipments. The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Tehran to respond with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively close the strategic waterway. Washington subsequently imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
In June, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding concerning freedom of navigation through the strait. However, efforts to implement the arrangement stalled amid disagreements over security and control of the maritime passage.
The latest statements highlight the continuing dispute between Tehran and Washington over access to the Strait of Hormuz, the movement of oil shipments and the potential consequences of renewed military action. Rezaei’s claims regarding the alleged smuggling operations and the role of US and Emirati forces had not received an immediate response from either government.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, made the allegations during an interview with Iranian state-run media over the weekend. He claimed that Cooper was directing a network in which five or six small boats transferred oil to larger tankers operating in the strategic waterway.
Rezaei alleged that Iranian forces had been attacking vessels connected to these activities on a nightly basis for the past two or three months. He estimated that five or six boats involved in the alleged operations had been targeted each night.
Neither Washington nor Abu Dhabi had immediately responded to the accusations.
The Iranian official also disputed US President Donald Trump’s statement that the Strait of Hormuz was open, maintaining that Tehran continued to exercise authority over the key maritime passage. He said Iran intended to retain control over how the waterway was managed, presenting the policy as necessary to preserve regional stability.
“From now on, therefore, we will maintain control over the management of the Strait of Hormuz. It will remain under our management to ensure peace and security in the region. We will not back down on this issue,” he said.
Rezaei further claimed that shipping activity through the strait remained substantially below levels recorded before the war. He accused the United States and its regional partners of relying on alleged smuggling networks to transport oil through the waterway despite the ongoing dispute over maritime access.
The Iranian official also issued a warning concerning US-linked technology infrastructure across the region, saying such facilities could become targets if Washington launched another attack against Iran. He specifically referred to undersea cables, data centers, artificial intelligence facilities and other technology-related sites.
“We have not yet included these assets among our targets. But if war breaks out, many of these cables, data centers, artificial intelligence facilities and numerous other sites will be destroyed,” he said.
Rezaei valued the infrastructure he referenced at more than $2 trillion, although he did not provide further details supporting that estimate.
He also said Iran was prepared to introduce additional military capabilities should hostilities resume, signaling that Tehran was continuing to prepare for the possibility of another confrontation.
“Today, we are fully prepared to introduce new capabilities if the war starts again,” he said.
The allegations come amid continuing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for international energy shipments. The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Tehran to respond with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively close the strategic waterway. Washington subsequently imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
In June, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding concerning freedom of navigation through the strait. However, efforts to implement the arrangement stalled amid disagreements over security and control of the maritime passage.
The latest statements highlight the continuing dispute between Tehran and Washington over access to the Strait of Hormuz, the movement of oil shipments and the potential consequences of renewed military action. Rezaei’s claims regarding the alleged smuggling operations and the role of US and Emirati forces had not received an immediate response from either government.
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