U.S. Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the U.S. naval blockade remains in place and that, except for humanitarian aid, Iran is not allowed to export or import via sea, which imposes devastating costs on its security apparatus.

U.S. Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the U.S. naval blockade remains in place and that, except for humanitarian aid, Iran is not allowed to export or import via sea, which imposes devastating costs on its security apparatus.

"Standing shoulder to shoulder with regional partners to defend against Iranian attacks, clearing the Hormuz Strait of Iranian naval concentrations and providing protection to commercial shipping, and twice establishing a steel-covered naval blockade that remained in place."

To emphasize, except for the humanitarian aid we allowed, Iran has no export and no import via sea. All of these actions have imposed devastating costs on Iran's security apparatus, and specifically on the Revolutionary Guards.

"In recent months, CENTCOM, in close coordination with U.S. interagency partners, has delivered hard blows to the Islamic regime and the Revolutionary Guards in three important areas."