Brad Cooper

Force in Play

Commands US forces that struck Iranian air defences on Qeshm Island on Nov. 6 and set up Task Force Iron Gate on Nov. 7

President Donald Trump said on Nov. 10 there was a 'good chance' of a deal with Iran and that the US would not launch a new offensive for now. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said sanctions were working so well that major combat operations were unnecessary, though he warned Iran against crossing 'red lines.'

Updated Yesterday

Force in Play

Said on November 8 that the new Task Force Iron Gate would reinforce the US naval blockade by stopping weapons, sanctioned materials and revenue from entering Iran over land borders or the Caspian Sea.

Iran said two oil tankers hit mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on November 8. A third vessel also burned, bringing the number of ships hit since the start of November to at least 12. The US military disabled a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman, and Iran's Revolutionary Guard later disabled navigation systems on four tankers using a route it considers unauthorized. Ship tracking put Hormuz traffic at about 5% of pre-war levels on November 10.

Updated Yesterday

Force in Play

Commands Operation Epic Fury; CENTCOM struck Qeshm Island again in early November

A U.S. fighter jet destroyed an Iranian surface-to-air missile launcher on Qeshm Island on the night of Nov. 2, after the Revolutionary Guard fired at an American aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported. A U.S. official called the strikes on Iranian targets in the strait 'defensive,' and they came the night before midterm elections.

Updated 2 days ago

Force in Play

Ordered the formation of Task Force Iron Gate on November 7 to block Iranian weapons shipments by land and sea

The US struck an Iranian air-defense device on Qeshm Island on November 6, and President Donald Trump called the operation 'minor.' Iran said its air defenses destroyed an American MQ-9 drone over the island, while US Central Command described the situation as 'relatively calm.'

Updated 4 days ago

Force in Play

As of June 2026: Commanding CENTCOM through active strikes on Iranian radar sites as ceasefire frays

On June 8, a US Navy F/A-18 from USS Abraham Lincoln disabled the Palau-flagged tanker Marivex in the Gulf of Oman, the seventh vessel put out of action since April 13. The next day, a US Army Apache went down near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's IRGC Navy claimed a speedboat shot it down; CENTCOM's investigation remains open.

Updated Jun 9

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Leading Operation Epic Fury

Since February 28, the US-Iran war has expanded to include critical water infrastructure. On March 8, Iran struck a Bahrain desalination plant.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Leading counter-ISIS operations in Syria and Iraq

A lone ISIS gunman killed two Iowa National Guardsmen and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra, Syria, on December 13, 2025—the first American combat deaths since Bashar al-Assad fled the country a year earlier. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded with Operation Hawkeye Strike.

Updated May 16

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Coordinating operations with Syrian government

On December 13, 2025, a Syrian security officer allegedly affiliated with ISIS opened fire on US troops near Palmyra, killing two Iowa National Guard members (Staff Sgts. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and William Nathaniel Howard) and interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat. The US responded six days later with Operation Hawkeye Strike: 100 precision munitions against 70 ISIS targets in central Syria via fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery, plus Jordanian F-16s, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called 'a declaration of vengeance.'

Updated May 16

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Operational lead; argues strikes are required to prevent ISIS external plotting.

In the first post-strike readout of

Updated May 15

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Overseeing the operational scaffolding for stabilization coordination

A Gaza force is being designed like it's real, but the December 16 Doha conference exposed disagreements over mandate and composition—U.S. Central Command convened 40+ countries to plan command structure, basing, and rules of engagement, yet failed to achieve consensus. Italy is the only country to formally commit troops; 15 nations declined and Turkey was excluded at Israel's insistence.

Updated May 15