Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, warned the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that the United States would strike Iran's oil fleet if Iranian forces attack American ships. The warning comes amid a tense standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Prediction markets now price a lower chance of a U.S.-Iran deal that includes reconstruction funding.
Adm. Brad Cooper issued a stern warning to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps about potential escalation in the maritime standoff between the United States and Iran. The CENTCOM commander said the U.S. would respond to any attack on American vessels by striking Iranian ships and, if necessary, Iran's oil fleet.
The warning
Cooper said any attack on two American ships would draw a strike on three Iranian ones, according to a statement carried by CENTCOM. He added that U.S. forces would not hesitate to defend American personnel and, "if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet", according to CENTCOM.
Standoff in the Strait of Hormuz
The warning lands amid an ongoing confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. has been enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports. The current tension follows earlier U.S. strikes on Iranian military assets and retaliatory action by Iran.
Trading oil through the strait now carries the added risk of this standoff between Washington and Tehran.
Diplomatic odds shift
The statement may lower the odds of a diplomatic resolution. Prediction-market pricing now points to reduced odds of a U.S.-Iran deal that includes reconstruction funding, with those odds having moved lower recently.
Observers are watching for any direct military engagement in the strait, since that could further diminish the prospects for talks between Washington and Tehran.
Source: Crypto Briefing
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