US Says Iran Cut Off From Maritime Trade as Pressure Campaign Intensifies
WASHINGTON, October 17, 2026 — US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Adm. Brad Cooper said Friday that Iran had been prevented from conducting maritime imports and exports, apart from permitted humanitarian assistance, as Washington stepped up efforts to weaken Tehran’s oil income and military financing.
In a video statement, Cooper outlined three main objectives of the US campaign: limiting Iran’s oil exports, disrupting digital financial networks and reducing the ability of Iranian security forces to pay their personnel.
He said US forces had prevented Iran from exporting at least $25 billion worth of crude oil in recent months.
Cooper also said US agencies had helped freeze nearly $350 million in cryptocurrency assets, arguing that the move further restricted Iran’s ability to finance militant activities and replace weapons and industrial facilities damaged in attacks.
According to Cooper, Iran-aligned groups operating across the region had started withholding payments from their fighters to redirect funds to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He added that the IRGC was also facing difficulties paying its own personnel.
“The Islamic regime is clearly feeling the economic pain,” Cooper said, adding that the IRGC was showing increasing signs of desperation.
US Says Strait of Hormuz Remains Open
Despite restrictions on Iran’s maritime trade, Cooper said commercial shipping continued to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
He accused Iran of attacking commercial vessels and said US forces were cooperating with regional allies and shipping industry representatives to improve maritime security.
Cooper asserted that the United States and its regional partners, rather than Iran, controlled the strategic waterway and maintained that it remained open to commercial traffic.
He reported that approximately 400 merchant vessels had crossed the strait during the previous seven days.
Cooper also said US forces had helped Gulf partners transport more than 100 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway over the same period. He added that the total volume of oil shipped with US assistance in recent months had exceeded 1.3 billion barrels.
NEWS DESK
PRESS UPDATE