Iran’s ability to threaten its neighbors and US interests has been dramatically reduced by US bombings, and Tehran’s defense industry has been set back by 90%, a senior US admiral said on Thursday.

However, US Central Command head Admiral Brad Cooper conceded during testimony before the US Senate Armed Services Committee that Iran still maintains a “very moderate if not small capability to continue strikes” in the region and that Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is still a major force in running the country.

In response to questions from Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Cooper also said the US has the military power to permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

However, when Slotkin pressed on why Cooper hasn’t done so, especially amid rising gas prices for Americans, Cooper deferred to policymakers amid ongoing peace negotiations.

In response to questions from Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, about who’s in charge in Iran, Cooper said the Revolutionary Guard is still “exercising significant authority.”

However, Cooper deferred to diplomats and negotiators on whether the paramilitary force is part of the peace negotiations.

The CENTCOM head sought to underscore the tactical successes of the military campaign against Iran that he oversaw and said the war had dramatically reduced the danger posed by that country to the broader Middle East.

Cooper declined to directly address mounting news reports that Iran, which stockpiled arms in underground facilities, had........

© The Times of Israel