CENTCOM Chief Cites Reports of Iran-Aligned Militias Diverting Pay to IRGC

U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper cited reports Friday that Iran-aligned militias were withholding fighters' pay to send money to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He also said the IRGC was failing to pay its own personnel. In an operational update, Cooper attributed the financial pressure to U.S. efforts targeting Iran's oil trade and financial assets. He said those efforts had prevented at least $25 billion in Iranian crude exports and helped freeze nearly $350 million in Iranian cryptocurrency, describing pressure on both Iran's armed forces and the groups it supports.