Iran Accuses US Military Chief of Directing Oil Smuggling Through Hormuz
(MENAFN) A senior Iranian security official has accused the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) of overseeing alleged oil-smuggling operations in 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 television over the weekend.
Rezaei claimed that Adm. Brad Cooper was directing the operations with assistance from UAE forces, alleging that five or six small boats were transferring oil to larger tankers in the strategic waterway.
He further claimed that Iranian forces had been targeting five or six vessels linked to these activities every night over the previous two or three months.
Neither US nor UAE officials had immediately responded to the allegations.
Rezaei also dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claim that the Strait of Hormuz was open, maintaining that Tehran continued to exercise control over the critical maritime passage.
“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.
The Iranian official added that shipping traffic through the strait remained significantly below levels recorded before the war. He also accused Washington and its regional partners of relying on smuggling networks to transport oil through the waterway.
The allegations come amid continuing tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for international energy shipments. No independent evidence confirming Rezaei’s claims was provided in the report.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, made the allegations during an interview with Iranian state-run television over the weekend.
Rezaei claimed that Adm. Brad Cooper was directing the operations with assistance from UAE forces, alleging that five or six small boats were transferring oil to larger tankers in the strategic waterway.
He further claimed that Iranian forces had been targeting five or six vessels linked to these activities every night over the previous two or three months.
Neither US nor UAE officials had immediately responded to the allegations.
Rezaei also dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claim that the Strait of Hormuz was open, maintaining that Tehran continued to exercise control over the critical maritime passage.
“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.
The Iranian official added that shipping traffic through the strait remained significantly below levels recorded before the war. He also accused Washington and its regional partners of relying on smuggling networks to transport oil through the waterway.
The allegations come amid continuing tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for international energy shipments. No independent evidence confirming Rezaei’s claims was provided in the report.
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