Iran remains concerning despite Israeli and U.S. strikes, next Central Command chief tells senators

The next commander of American forces in the Middle East told lawmakers Tuesday that Iran remains a serious threat despite more than a week’s worth of Israeli air strikes and the U.S. B-2 bomber mission that crippled Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, currently the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, was testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The White House nominated him for promotion to four-star admiral and the top position at Central Command.

“They [Iran] possess considerable tactical capability, one element of which we saw yesterday,” Adm. Cooper said.

He was referring to Iran’s decision on Monday to launch a salvo of ballistic missiles at neighboring Qatar, home of Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East.

“Iran is the number one source of instability in the region, the number one source and sponsor of terrorism throughout the world,” Adm. Cooper said. 

Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the GOP chairman of the committee, echoed Adm. Cooper’s concerns about Iran’s continuing threat to the U.S. and its interests. 

“Iran’s conventional military capabilities have been severely degraded, Hezbollah’s leadership has been decimated, and Hamas has been crushed,” Sen. Wicker said. “Iran and its terrorist allies are weaker than they have been in decades, but the job is not done.”

Sen. Wicker said the circumstances Iran finds itself in are entirely the making of Tehran’s ruling elite. The White House gave Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei every opportunity to find a peaceful resolution, he said.

“He instead chose to continue his pursuit of a nuclear weapon and support of terrorism,” Sen. Wicker said.

Adm. Cooper told lawmakers that Tehran has been strategically weakened and tactically degraded since its proxies, like Hamas and Hezbollah, launched their war against Israel in October 2023.

“The degree to which that degradation has taken place, particularly in the last 12 days, is best discussed in a classified forum,” Adm. Cooper said.

Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the armed services committee, called the U.S. bombing mission, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, a “remarkable, global operation that significantly damaged Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.”

“It is imperative that we prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. However, I am very concerned about the consequences of this attack,” Sen. Reed said. “Iran has already retaliated by launching ballistic missiles at our bases in Qatar and Iraq, threatening tens of thousands of American troops.”

Iranian proxy organizations, particularly Hamas and Hezbollah, have been significantly degraded since they launched their October 2023 attack on southern Israel, Adm. Cooper told lawmakers.

“But, I think we’re going to have to continue to watch them very closely,” he said. “While those two proxies have been degraded, we still have the Iranian-aligned militia groups that are out there as well as the Houthis, who are currently in a cease-fire with us.”

Tehran telegraphed what Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas called a “weak response” to the U.S. bombing mission even before the first missiles were launched toward Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. That doesn’t mean they might try again, despite the ongoing ceasefire, he said.

“It could be missiles or rockets against our troops, or it could be someone trying to blow up an embassy around the world or targeting American citizens for terrorist attacks,” the Arkansas Republican said. “It’s something that we have to be constantly on guard against, because Iran has been terrorizing America in the civilized world for 46 years.”

At Central Command, Adm. Cooper will be taking over for Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, who is expected to retire this summer.

He told Senate lawmakers that the geographic region he will command has been witness to its most volatile security situation of the past half-century, where both state and non-state actors. The challenges lie in balancing the imperative to establish enduring deterrence and protect the U.S. homeland while maintaining a focus on strategic competition with China, Adm. Cooper said.

“Confronting these challenges while understanding that we are operating in a resource-constrained environment will require difficult decisions,” he said.

Also testifying Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee was Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, nominated for promotion to full general and assignment as the next commander of NATO, succeeding retiring Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli.