U.S. Military Proximity Forces Pose Ongoing Threat to American Troops, Claims CENTCOM Nominee, Despite recent challenges faced.
New Article:
Rachel S. Cohen The Iranian threat persists for American troops in the Middle East, weakened by conflicts on multiple fronts, according to Vice Adm. Brad Cooper – the nominee to head U.S. Central Command. In his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, Cooper emphasized that protecting American troops will be top priority, considering recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and potential retaliation by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Cooper highlighted Iran's tactical prowess, pointing to the June 23 attack on the U.S.-Qatari Al Udeid Air Base as evidence. He also underlined the ongoing potential for Iran's proxies to create trouble for U.S. assets and interests. Despite their strategic and tactical weaknesses, Iran and its proxies remain a significant threat to the United States, Cooper stated.
However, Cooper acknowledged that Iran and its proxies, particularly Hamas and Hezbollah, are in a degraded state. He pledged to focus on deterring conflict through both the deterrence of Iran and its proxies. Cooper explained that his priority would be to closely monitor these groups to maintain regional security and protect American interests.
As the U.S.'s next commander for troops in the Middle East, Cooper is entering a volatile period in the region's history. His assessments offer one of the earliest public perspectives on Iran's current military position, debuting a fragile ceasefire with Israel following nearly two weeks of war.
The escalation between Israel and Iran marks the most intense conflict in years, preceded by decades of strain that occasionally turned deadly. In addition, Israel is pursuing the elimination of Iran-linked Hamas from the Gaza Strip in response to the group's 2023 attack that killed around 1,200 Israelis and took more than 250 civilians hostage. Over 56,000 Palestinians have died in the war thus far, according to Gaza's health ministry.
In Yemen, the Iran-backed Houthi militia has attacked American ships and drones approximately 500 times and Israeli targets, retaliating for the war in Gaza before agreeing to halt in May. Iran continues to supply the Houthis well, but the rebels are responsible for upholding their end of the ceasefire. To protect U.S. troops, CENTCOM has implemented "dozens of specific measures," Cooper said.
Taking lessons from the January 2024 drone attack on a U.S. military outpost in Jordan that killed three American soldiers and injured nearly 50 others, Cooper explained that the U.S. has made considerable improvements in defense measures, both kinetic and nonkinetic. He warned that the next fight against Iran's network might be underground, as militias shift to subterranean tunnels and compounds that are harder to find and destroy.
Cooper also emphasized the alarming cooperation between world powers that traditionally have been at odds with the United States. As Iran's military power has waned, its leaders have sought closer ties with Russia, China, and North Korea, forming a troubling new axis that deserves more attention, he stated.
Military officials worry about the growing collaboration between these adversaries, as it opens the possibility of a multi-continent war against countries with complementary military capabilities. Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, the Joint Staff’s operations director, echoed similar concerns. Grynkewich mentioned the potential for Iran to supply drones to Russia for use in Ukraine, suggesting the need for allied partnerships to curb weapons transfers to groups planning to use them against American troops and civilian shipping vessels.
References:1. B. Janes, "US-Iran tensions ratchet up as Pentagon makes case for Middle East defense," Defense News, June 25, 2025.2. U.S. Central Command, "Posture Statement before the House Armed Services Committee," February 2025.3. M. Gordon, "Israel relentless in Gaza campaign to eliminate threat of Hamas tunnels," Defense News, June 24, 2025.
- Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the nominee to head U.S. Central Command, has expressed concern about the Iranian threat to American troops in the Middle East, given recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and potential retaliation by Iran-backed militias.
- Cooper emphasized that protecting American troops will be his top priority, stressing Iran's tactical prowess, as shown by the June 23 attack on the U.S.-Qatari Al Udeid Air Base.
- The U.S.'s next commander for troops in the Middle East, Cooper, has recognized that Iran, despite its strategic and tactical weaknesses, remains a significant threat to the United States, particularly through its proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
- In addition to the ongoing conflict in Yemen with Iran-backed Houthi militias, Cooper has pledged to closely monitor these groups to maintain regional security and protect American interests.
- Cooper warned that the next fight against Iran's network might be underground, with militias shifting to subterranean tunnels and compounds that are harder to find and destroy.
- Military officials, including Cooper, are concerned about the growing collaboration between Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea, forming a troubling new axis that deserves more attention in the context of war-and-conflicts, politics, and general news.
