Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, testifies during a Senate Armed Services committee hearing on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — The head of U.S. forces in the Middle East said Thursday that every military objective in the war against Iran has been met, describing a diminished enemy that nonetheless retains some residual capabilities to strike at troops and American allies in the region.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of Central Command, provided this assessment at his first appearance before Congress since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. He said the mission has now shifted to enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The bombing campaign, now in a ceasefire, has weakened Iran “across all measures of national power,” he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. He said 90% of its defense industrial base has been destroyed and predicted that it would take Tehran a generation to reconstitute its navy to its prewar level.
“We have significantly degraded their drone, missile and naval capabilities,” he said, naming what he said were the three military objectives of the war. “We fractured their command and control. We’ve eliminated the large preponderance of their space program.”
The destruction has “dramatically” diminished Iran’s ability to launch large-scale volleys at surrounding countries in the Persian Gulf, which host numerous American bases. Cooper acknowledged, however, that Iran has “a very moderate, if not small” capability to strike at neighbors and oil infrastructure.
“We, of course, have accordingly prepared for such a contingency,” he said.
Cooper declined to comment on reports that Tehran has retained roughly 70% of its prewar missile stockpile and about 70% of its mobile launchers but said the numbers he had seen in open sources “are not accurate.”
He also said he would not discuss the status of Iran’s nuclear program in a public setting, only confirming that its nuclear breakout time has been set back. The Trump administration has said it went to war to prevent Tehran from having a nuclear weapon.
Cooper’s testimony came as Democrats on the committee remained skeptical of the war’s strategic goals, pointing to the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for oil that has sent fuel prices soaring.
“It is hard to say, sitting here with the Strait of Hormuz closed, and every American feeling a deep, deep spike in the price of gas … that we are overall better off until that strait is opened,” said Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.
Cooper described the situation in the strait as “complex” but suggested that Iran’s ability to attack shipping in the waterway is exaggerated. In previous crossings through the strait, Iran would send 20 to 40 fast boats, he said. Lately there have been two or three.
“But their voice is very loud,” Cooper said. “And those threats are clearly heard by the merchant industry and the insurance industry.”
The U.S. military announced a plan to escort commercial ships through the strait this month but halted the effort after a few days. Cooper said the 50,000 troops deployed to the region are focusing on preventing trade in and out of Iran as well as preparing for a broad range of contingencies.
“As I sit here, we are clear eyed,” he said. “The situation in front of us is very complex, high-stakes negotiations continue. Our job is to be ready, and we are.”
