CENTCOM: Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis have been cut off from Iran’s weapons support
Before a US Senate committee, Admiral Brad Cooper, head of CENTCOM, stated that the Iranian threat had been "significantly reduced."
Iran’s ability to threaten its neighbors and U.S. interests in the region has been “considerably reduced,” CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper told a Senate committee on Tuesday.
Cooper said the Iranian threat has been “greatly diminished,” adding that Tehran “no longer threatens regional partners or the United States as it could in the past,” in any domain. He attributed the shift to the effects of recent military pressure, saying Iran’s capabilities have been “significantly weakened.”
He noted that, prior to the conflict, Iran’s regional proxy network carried out more than 350 attacks against U.S. forces and diplomatic personnel over a 30-month period, roughly one attack every three days, resulting in the deaths of four American service members.
“Today, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis are all cut off from weapons supplies and support from Iran,” the CENTCOM chief said.
Cooper also highlighted changes in U.S. air defense tactics, saying American forces have reduced reliance on expensive high-end interceptors to counter Iranian drones, shifting instead toward more cost-effective munitions due to concerns over limited stockpiles.
He further claimed that Iran’s drone inventory has been reduced to roughly 10% of its previous capacity. Despite a fragile ceasefire lasting about a month, sporadic clashes between Iranian and U.S.-aligned forces are still being reported.