CENTCOM
39 articles
Congressional Briefings Begin as the Halt Stays Unverified at Hour 42
Senate and House committees move toward classified briefings as the halt enters hour 42 with no Iranian confirmation, no tanker transit, and no Oman working group statement.
War Powers Clock Expires: Administration Filing Due as Sunday Closes
The 48-hour War Powers deadline for CENTCOM's first Iran strike expires Sunday at 21:35 UTC — the filing will put the administration's legal theory on the record.
What 'Complete the Job' Means: Target Logic for a Third Iran Strike
Two CENTCOM packages failed to prevent IRGC missile salvos at two Gulf bases. A third round would need to address what the first two did not.
CENTCOM Releases No Battle-Damage Data on Either Iran Strike Package
CENTCOM struck Iran twice in 24 hours with no public battle-damage data for either package. The deliberate absence has growing consequences as a third round is openly signaled.
War Powers Deadline Tonight: Two Strikes, Possible Third on the Table
The administration's 48-hour War Powers notification is due Sunday night. It now covers two CENTCOM strike packages and a presidential signal that a third may follow.
Trump's 'Complete the Job' Warning Signals a Third Strike Is on the Table
After two CENTCOM strike packages in 24 hours and IRGC claims on US forces in Kuwait, President Trump has signaled further military action against Iran is on the table.
CENTCOM Confirms US Navy Lifts Strait of Hormuz Blockade
U.S. Central Command said Friday the Navy has lifted its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, with American forces remaining in the area to monitor the US-Iran ceasefire.
Navy Blockade Lift Becomes Iran Accord's First Operational Tell
The US Navy blockade lifting and Gulf escort cadence drop are the Iran accord's first measurable operational outputs, even as CENTCOM has not yet published a formal order.
The US Navy Posture in the Gulf Is the Geneva Deal's Operational Tell
A Sunday Geneva signing will be read in Tehran through the nightly US Navy escort cadence in the Strait of Hormuz. What visible posture changes — or their absence — will tell us before the ceremony.
Trump Blames Iran for Apache Downing, Says US 'Must Respond'
President Trump publicly accused Iran of shooting down a US Army Apache near the Strait of Hormuz and said the United States "must, of necessity, respond" to the attack.
Apache Goes Down Near Strait of Hormuz; Trump Says Crew Safe
A US Army Apache attack helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz; the crew was rescued and President Trump confirmed the pilots are safe, per Middle East Eye reporting.
US Navy F/A-18 Disables Iran-Bound Oil Tanker in Gulf of Oman
A US Navy Super Hornet struck and disabled an unladen tanker headed to load Iranian crude, CENTCOM said, as Tehran announced a new maritime security belt across regional sea lanes.
US Strikes Iranian Coastal Facilities; Tehran Calls It a Ceasefire Violation
US forces struck Iranian coastal facilities Saturday after Tehran launched drones, prompting Iran to condemn the action as a ceasefire violation endangering regional security.
State Approves $1.98B Counter-Drone Sale to Kuwait Hours Before Iranian Missile Strike
The State Department's approval of Roadrunner and Anvil counter-UAS interceptors for Kuwait landed within hours of Iran's seven-missile salvo at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Iran Fires Seven Ballistic Missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain
US Central Command says Iran launched seven ballistic missiles toward Gulf bases hours after US drone intercepts and strikes on Iranian radar sites near Qeshm Island.
CENTCOM Says US Shot Down Four Iranian Drones Near Strait of Hormuz
US forces intercepted four Iranian attack drones and struck Iranian radar sites overnight, threatening fragile ceasefire efforts and nuclear talks near the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM Puts Blockade Tally at 125 Vessels as Hormuz Push Sharpens
US Central Command's redirect count is the first hard military number on the Iran blockade's shipping toll, landing as the Speaker says Trump is focused on reopening Hormuz and analysts warn diverted barrels are not spare capacity.
CENTCOM Says 125 Vessels Redirected, Six Disabled in Blockade
US Central Command reports 125 commercial vessels redirected and six disabled under the Iran port blockade as the administration works on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic.
Kuwait, Bahrain Claim Right to Respond to Iran Strikes
Kuwait declares it retains the "full right to respond" after Iranian drones kill one person at its airport. Bahrain accuses Iran of attacking civilian infrastructure as Gulf tensions escalate.
Iran Restores South Pars Output as US Hormuz Blockade Holds, Talks Stall
Iran's Pars Oil and Gas Co. said three offshore platforms at South Pars have resumed production after Israeli strikes disrupted onshore processing; the US Hormuz blockade remains in place.
CENTCOM Disables Gambia-Flagged Tanker With Hellfire in Hormuz Blockade
US Central Command says a Hellfire missile struck the engine room of the M/V Lian Star in the Gulf of Oman after more than 20 warnings, the fifth vessel disabled since the blockade began.
US Deploys F-22 Stealth Fighters Across Israel: Report
Middle East Eye reports US F-22 Raptors and aerial refueling aircraft have moved to Israeli bases as the Iran ceasefire wobbles after fresh self-defense strikes.
IRGC claims 25 ships crossed Hormuz under Iranian coordination
Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it shepherded 25 commercial vessels through the Strait — directly contradicting CENTCOM's account of who is governing the chokepoint.
CENTCOM Denies Navy Resumed Hormuz Escorts; Project Freedom Still Paused
CENTCOM said Tuesday afternoon that the US Navy has not restarted commercial escorts through the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting earlier media reports. Project Freedom remains suspended.
Iran Calls US Strikes 'Gross Violation' as Doha Talks Continue
Tehran's foreign ministry condemned Monday's US strikes near Bandar Abbas as a ceasefire breach while Iranian and Qatari negotiators kept talks running in Doha.
Centcom Strikes Iranian Boats Near Larak as Rubio Says Strait Opens 'One Way or the Other'
US forces struck Iranian missile sites and small boats US officials said were laying mines near Larak Island, even as Iranian negotiators sat down in Doha. Rubio said a deal could take days.
Centcom Says US Forces Struck Inside Southern Iran in Self-Defense
Centcom spokesperson Tim Hawkins says US forces hit Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats inside southern Iran, even as explosions are reported near Bandar Abbas.
Marines Board Iranian-Flagged Tanker in Gulf of Oman
US Marines boarded an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, searched it, and ordered the crew to alter course — the 91st vessel redirected under the US blockade on Iranian ports, per CENTCOM.
US Centcom Says 78 Vessels Redirected Under Iran Blockade
CENTCOM disclosed Saturday that 78 commercial ships have been redirected and four disabled in the Strait of Hormuz blockade, as Tehran moves to assert sovereignty over the waterway.
Ford Strike Group Awarded Presidential Unit Citation for Iran War
The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group received a Presidential Unit Citation for combat operations during the Iran War, putting on the record what the Pentagon previously discussed only in pieces.
CENTCOM: Iran Navy Crippled, Proxy Network Cut Off
Adm. Brad Cooper told senators Iran's navy won't recover for 5–10 years and that Tehran possessed 60%-enriched uranium before the war began.
US Navy Strikes Disable Two Iranian Tankers in Gulf of Oman
CENTCOM released video of precision strikes crippling the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda near the Strait of Hormuz; Iran condemned the action as a ceasefire violation.
IRGC Warns of 'Long, Painful Strikes' on US Gulf Positions
A senior IRGC official threatened sustained retaliation against US Gulf-region bases if Washington launches new strikes, hours after Trump was briefed on three military options against Iran.
CENTCOM Briefs Trump on Iran Strike Options, Including Hormuz Seizure
CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper briefed Trump for 45 minutes on May 1 on strike packages including a Hormuz seizure plan and a special forces uranium operation.
Trump Rejects Iran Peace Proposal, Cites Unacceptable Terms
President Trump says Iran's latest offer through Pakistan includes demands he cannot accept, as CENTCOM has briefed him on three military options and oil holds near $108.
War Powers Clock Expires With No Congressional Authorization
The 60-day War Powers Resolution deadline passed May 1 as the Senate blocked a withdrawal measure 50-47, leaving U.S. forces in the region without explicit congressional sanction.
USS Gerald R. Ford to leave Middle East as blockade hardens, cutting US carriers in theater from three to two
The USS Gerald R. Ford will sail home from CENTCOM in the coming days after a record 309-day deployment, dropping US carrier presence in theater from three to two as the Trump administration hardens its long-blockade posture against Iran.
CENTCOM to brief Trump on Iran strike options as War Powers clock runs
Adm. Brad Cooper and Gen. Dan Caine are presenting Trump with new Iran options, including infrastructure strikes and a possible Hormuz ground operation, on the eve of a 60-day War Powers Act deadline.
What CENTCOM is, what the Fifth Fleet does, and why this matters now
US Central Command runs every American military operation from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean. The Fifth Fleet is its naval arm in the Persian Gulf. Both are quietly the most consequential US military commands you've heard the least about.