CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins denied reports that Admiral Brad Cooper pushed for renewed military strikes against Iran during his visit to Israel, calling the claims 'an absolute fabrication', according to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS). Earlier Thursday, reports emerged claiming Cooper advocated for renewed strikes as leverage in negotiations.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins tonight denied reports that Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, pushed for renewed military strikes against Iran during his visit to Israel, calling the claims 'an absolute fabrication' and 'simply not true,' according to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS).
The denial comes roughly two and a half hours after The Zioneer reported, at 20:56 Jerusalem on Thursday, that Cooper had called for renewed strikes on Iranian infrastructure — including gas, oil, and electricity sites — at a senior IDF operational forum, and that he reportedly told Israeli officials those strikes could pressure Tehran to shift its negotiating stance. Hawkins' statement categorically rejects both accounts.
The reports that Cooper advocated for renewed strikes as leverage in negotiations, which were attributed to unnamed sources, had been circulating among Israeli security officials before the denial. As The Zioneer has reported, CENTCOM has conducted multiple waves of precision strikes against Iranian military targets since early June, following the downing of a U.S. Army helicopter. Cooper, who has held high-level meetings with Israeli defense officials this week, has been a central figure in the U.S. posture toward Iran.
The public denial by a CENTCOM spokesperson of a report regarding the commander's own private discussions is unusual. It does not, however, independently confirm or refute what was discussed behind closed doors; the initial reports remain unverified claims that the U.S. military now says are fabricated.
3 developments
- StrongCENTCOM issues fresh denial: Iran's claim of attacking U.S. Navy ships is false
- DevelopingCENTCOM chief: Strait of Hormuz strikes should stop if US not expanding Iran war, NYT reports
- DevelopingCENTCOM chief Cooper praises IDF, vows enduring US support at historic forum appearance
- DevelopingCENTCOM denies Iranian claims of US soldiers captured or killed
Source and signal
- Open-source intake