Tarek Chouiref
12 October 2026•Update: 12 October 2026
A senior Iranian security official accused the head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) of orchestrating oil-smuggling operations in the Strait of Hormuz with the assistance of the United Arab Emirates military.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, made the claim in an interview over the weekend with Iranian state-run Press TV.
Rezaei said Adm. Brad Cooper was directing the operations using the UAE military, with five or six small boats transferring oil to large tankers.
He said Iranian forces had been striking five or six vessels involved in the operations each night over the past two or three months.
There was no immediate comment from the US or the UAE on Rezaei’s claims.
Rezaei also rejected US President Donald Trump’s assertion that the Strait of Hormuz was open, insisting that Iran remained in control of the strategic waterway.
“From now on, therefore, we will maintain control over the management of the Strait of Hormuz. It will remain under our management to ensure peace and security in the region. We will not back down on this issue,” he said.
He said maritime traffic through the strait remained far below prewar levels and accused Washington and its regional allies of using smuggling networks to move oil through the waterway.
Rezaei also warned that Iran could target US-linked technology infrastructure in the region if the United States attacks the country again.
“We have not yet included these assets among our targets. But if war breaks out, many of these cables, data centers, artificial intelligence facilities and numerous other sites will be destroyed,” he said.
He put the value of such infrastructure at more than $2 trillion.
The Iranian official said Tehran was also prepared to deploy additional military capabilities in the event of renewed hostilities.
“Today, we are fully prepared to introduce new capabilities if the war starts again,” he said.
The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The US and Iran subsequently signed a memorandum of understanding in June concerning freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, but implementation stalled over disagreements related to security in the strategic waterway.