US CENTCOM Commander Claims Iran Needs a Generation to Rebuild Its Navy

JAKARTA - The commander of the United States Central Command (US CENTCOM) said it would take "a generation" to rebuild the Iranian navy to its former strength.

Admiral Bradley Cooper told the US Senate Armed Services Committee that the country's military had destroyed more than 90 percent of Iran's inventory of about 8,000 sea mines.

"The defense industrial base for their drones and missiles and their navy has been degraded by 90 percent. They only have about 10 percent left for the navy," he said, launching The National (15/5).

"My professional perspective on this is also that Iran will not return to the same level of navy that they had for a generation." he continued.

Furthermore, Admiral Cooper admitted that Iran still has the resources to launch attacks in the surrounding region, but not as extensive as before.

He said Iran's offensive capabilities had been degraded to the point where they no longer posed a major threat to the US or its regional partners.

However, Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin questioned why the US had not reopened the Strait of Hormuz if Iran was no longer a military threat.

"If the US military is not physically opening the strait at this time, it is because Iran does have the real ability to carry out attacks or drone attacks on the Gulf countries, which affect their oil infrastructure and push oil prices higher around the world," Slotkin asked.

"Maybe his ability has diminished, but it is a real ability, unless I'm missing something," he said.

On the occasion, the US CENTCOM commander praised regional allies for their support, especially Jordan.

"All that we have achieved would not have been possible without the Kingdom of Jordan," he said, adding that Washington also works closely with Israel.

"We always want to expand partnerships," he said.

Jordan typically hosts about 4,000 US troops as well as US military sites including the main Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. During the conflict, Iran attacked Jordan with about 280 missiles and drones, according to the military.

Amman also receives significant US military assistance. Since 2015, the US has provided Jordan with foreign military funding of US$ 2.1 billion, making it the third largest recipient of military aid in the world.

In addition, Admiral Cooper also thanked the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia for their support during the conflict.

"During Operation Epic Fury, they defended themselves and defended American citizens," he said, referring to the operation's code name in the attack on the Land of the Mullahs.

Admiral Cooper added that the "air defense umbrella" that the US and its allies have been trying to achieve for almost a decade is made possible through close ties with Gulf partners.

However, without elaborating, he indicated that some allies had not contributed enough.

"There are several things that I think I can discuss in private, which are of poor quality," added Admiral Cooper.