CENTCOM chief says naval blockade has cost Iran $25 billion in oil revenue

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. naval blockade of Iran has cost the country about $25 billion in lost oil revenue, the commander of U.S. Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, said in a video message released Friday.

Cooper said the financial pressure is so severe that Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and Shiite militias in Iraq, are now sending money back to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which had funded them for years. He added that CENTCOM and the Treasury Department recently froze about $350 million in Iranian cryptocurrency.

Cooper said Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz have increased, which he described as a sign of “desperation.” He said the strait remains open, with about 400 ships and 100 million barrels of oil passing through in the past week.

U.S. and Qatari mediators are waiting for Iran’s response to a U.S. proposal to end the war, according to Axios.