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CENTCOM · Geopolitics · Iran · Maritime Security
Admiral Brad Cooper's appointment as CENTCOM commander in 2025 marked a significant strategic shift, moving the command's focus from land-based counterinsurgency to maritime and air power against state adversaries.
Bypassing an Army general, Cooper, a naval officer, was chosen for his deep understanding of the Middle East's critical waterways, having commanded U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. Fifth Fleet, and Combined Maritime Forces in Bahrain from 2021-2024. During this period, he cultivated extensive regional partnerships, expanded multinational coalitions to over 40 nations, and pioneered Task Force 59, integrating unmanned and AI systems for maritime security. This groundwork proved crucial for Operation Epic Fury, a joint U.S.-Israeli campaign launched in February 2026 against Iran.
With objectives to dismantle Iran's nuclear ambitions, missile arsenal, proxy networks, and conventional naval capability, the operation deployed 50,000 U.S. troops, 200 fighter aircraft, and two carrier strike groups. Cooper reported a 90% reduction in ballistic missile attacks and 83% in drone attacks by day six.
Critically, over 30 Iranian naval vessels were destroyed, leading to the unprecedented declaration that "not a single Iranian ship [was] underway" in key Gulf areas. The resilience of the U.S.-led coalition, despite Iranian retaliation, underscores the success of Cooper's diplomatic and operational strategy, fundamentally altering the regional security landscape.
