The commander of the US military's Central Command, Centcom, who emphasizes the extensive presence of American forces in the Strait of Hormuz, says that during the flight over this waterway, he observed American vessels and military equipment on patrol, but did not see forces from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Admiral Brad Cooper, in a video released by Centcom on Friday, November 8, referring to his last trip to the area on November 3, said that while flying over the Strait of Hormuz, he saw dozens of commercial ships, including cargo ships, oil tankers and vessels carrying liquefied natural gas. Cooper added that at the same time he saw American military equipment in the air and waters of the area, including a squadron of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles patrolling as part of defensive measures. The Centcom commander then said: "But what I didn't see were the Revolutionary Guards." I didn't see them there at all."

The commander of the US military's Central Command, Centcom, who emphasizes the extensive presence of American forces in the Strait of Hormuz, says that during the flight over this waterway, he observed American vessels and military equipment on patrol, but did not see forces from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Admiral Brad Cooper, in a video released by Centcom on Friday, November 8, referring to his last trip to the area on November 3, said that while flying over the Strait of Hormuz, he saw dozens of commercial ships, including cargo ships, oil tankers and vessels carrying liquefied natural gas. Cooper added that at the same time he saw American military equipment in the air and waters of the area, including a squadron of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles patrolling as part of defensive measures. The Centcom commander then said: "But what I didn't see were the Revolutionary Guards." I didn't see them there at all."