Iran-backed militias funnel money to IRGC amid economic crisis, CENTCOM commander Cooper says

US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said Iran-backed militias including Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iraqi groups are redirecting money to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps amid economic pressure after nine months of war. Cooper stated the US naval blockade cost Iran an estimated $25 billion in lost oil revenue and that $350 million in Iranian cryptocurrency assets were frozen. Militias are reportedly withholding payments from their own fighters to funnel money to the IRGC.

US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said Iran-backed militias, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and militias in Iraq, have been redirecting money to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as Tehran faces mounting economic pressure after nine months of war. Cooper stated that the US naval blockade has cost Iran an estimated $25 billion in lost oil revenue and that CENTCOM and the US Treasury Department had frozen $350 million in Iranian cryptocurrency assets in recent weeks. Cooper said the financial pressure had become severe enough that Iran-aligned militias were reportedly withholding payments from their own fighters to funnel money back to the IRGC, which was also struggling to pay its troops. Cooper attributed increased Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to desperation within the IRGC, though he said the waterway remained open with 400 ships and 100 million barrels of oil passing through it over the previous week. CENTCOM has mostly paused strikes on Iranian military positions threatening the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks. The Trump administration has continued attempts to place economic pressure on Iran to secure an agreement. Axios reported that the White House and Qatari mediators were awaiting Iran's response to a US counterproposal aimed at ending the war. A US official cited by Axios said the White House ordered the pause to avoid escalating the war before the US midterm elections, as President Donald Trump's approval rating has dipped to 38%.