Latest news with #Centcom
The National
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Yemen intercepts 'massive' Iranian weapons shipment bound for Houthis, Centcom says
US Central Command on Wednesday said that Yemeni partners had intercepted a shipment of Iranian weapons bound for the Houthis. In a statement, Centcom, which oversees US military interests in the Middle East, congratulated the Yemeni National Resistance Forces for what it called 'the largest seizure of Iranian advanced conventional weapons in their history'. 'The NRF intercepted and seized over 750 tonnes of munitions and hardware to include hundreds of advanced cruise, anti-ship, and anti-aircraft missiles, warheads and seekers, components as well as hundreds of drone engines, air defence equipment, radar systems and communications equipment,' Centcom said. It added that the NRF had found manuals written in Farsi and that many of the seized systems were manufactured by a company affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Defence that is under US sanctions. Centcom chief Gen Michael Erik Kurilla commended the NRF. 'The interdiction of this massive Iranian shipment shows that Iran remains the most destabilising actor in the region. Limiting the free flow of Iranian support to the Houthis is critic to regional security, stability, and freedom of navigation,' he said. The NRF is a coalition of former members of the Yemeni Republican Guard and the Central Security Organisation. It backs the internationally recognised Yemeni government, which was deposed in 2014 after the Houthis captured the capital Sanaa. The Houthis, who control much of southern Yemen, are allied with Iran. In support of Hamas in Gaza, the group has been engaged in a continuing conflict with Israel, attacking ships traversing the Red Sea. The US carried out an extensive bombing campaign against the Houthis earlier this year until the attacks on international shipping ceased. But the Houthis have restarted their campaign in the Red Sea, sinking two vessels and killing several crew in recent weeks.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Centcom commander: US ‘certainly vulnerable' to attacks in Iraq, Syria
Retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, the former commander of U.S. Central Command (Centcom), said on Sunday that he thinks U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria are 'certainly vulnerable' to retaliatory attacks by Iran. In an interview on CBS News's 'Face the Nation,' McKenzie said he's not surprised that Iran has not yet retaliated following U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites, noting, 'I think Iranian decisionmaking is a little crippled right now because of the loss of senior leaders' at the hands of the Israelis. But he said he's confident the U.S. military has taken steps to prepare for any future attacks. 'To your question about where they might strike, I think we're certainly vulnerable in Iraq. I think we're certainly vulnerable in Syria,' he said. 'And I'm certain that Central Command has done all the things we need to do to harden ourselves against those potential attacks. 'The same for our other bases across the region,' McKenzie said. 'I don't know that it would be localized to the region though.' McKenzie speculated about the possibility of a strike on U.S. soil but noted efforts to achieve such a goal in the past have not been very successful. 'Iran has long harbored the desire to attack us in the United States. They typically have not been effective when they've done that. We've caught them in a couple of plots that are very public, that you're well aware of,' McKenzie said. 'So I think all those things are on the table, but it may take the Iranians a little while to work through this process, because nobody's excited about going to a meeting in Iran right now,' he said. The interview comes as U.S. leaders are warning Iran from taking retaliatory actions against the U.S. and of far-reaching consequences if Iran does not take steps to make peace. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Arabian Post
24-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Thanks to Trump, a nuclear Iran no longer haunts Middle East
Matein Khalid Operation Midnight Hammer was a spectacular military success though it will take 60 years more for the top secret CIA files on Trump's rendezvous with history at Fordo to be declassified even though I hope Centcom and the Pentagon generals will release their BDA (Battle Damage Assessments) in the next two weeks to reinforce their claim that the Islamic Republic's nuclear assets beneath the mountain in Fordo have been 'totally obliterated'. 125 American military aircraft in the skies above the Persian desert near Qum, the citadel of the Ayatollahs, have now changed the destiny of Iran and the Middle East forever? These aircrafts included the B-2 stealth bombers, F-22/F-35 fighter jets and 30 air refueling tankers. Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance planes that roamed over Iran's most sensitive airspace but the regime was unable to launch even a single ground to air missile at the USAF aerial armada. ADVERTISEMENT In Texas slang that George W. Bush would have grasped, this was not a knife fight but a hightech duck shoot. We can only hope that a secular, democratic, liberal Iran that makes peace with all its neighbours emerges from the collapse of the mullah regime but after 46 long years since the fall of the Shah's Peacock Throne, the unknown unknowns at this stage are far too great to make any definitive conclusions. I doubt if the mullahs will mine the Straits of Hormuz since that would mean immediate devastating retaliation from Centcom's assets in the Gulf. In any case, the embattled Iranian regime is desperate for cash, imports all its food via container shipping via the Straits and is in no position to alienate its only major client – China. The PRC lifts 1.7 million barrels a day (MBD) of Iranian crude exports from Kharg Island and Tehran has recently built up its floating inventory to above 8-MBD off Singapore in order to ensure that exports to the port refineries of the Shandong Peninsula are not interrupted. The Iranian regime also needs the support of Gulf Arab oil exporters now that Putin has done squat to help it survive and Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir has nominated President Trump for a Nobel Peace prize after a White House lunch that included a halal goat cheese gateau and a Turkey burger (waddi-waddi chaati wala, Amriki murga Sirji), delicacies somewhat unknown in dhabas of Toba Tek Singh. Brent is at 76 and gold is flat at 3355, so the financial markets have discounted Trump's escalation, which even I had predicted in a post last week after I heard that squadrons of air refueling tankers were moving to the Gulf as were aircraft carriers like the USS Chester Nimitz, the USS Carl Vinson and USS Gerald Ford. That meant only one thing to me, Trump had already made the biggest strategic decision of his life. So how come the Iranian air defense was pathetic to non-existent when the open source intel data points all suggested that a massive US strike was imminent this weekend? The conclusion is obvious. The Israelis have gutted Iran's air defenses and missile launch capabilities after literally months of bombing since last October. The regime's top generals in the Pasdaran, Basij or Missile Force can no longer command or control an armed response for the simple reason that they are all now dead, killed by the IDF. For the sake of the Middle East and its own people, let us all hope that the mullah regime now choses peace rather than the tragedy that Trump has promised if Tehran does not take the path of unconditional surrender. What a pity, what a world! Also published on Medium. Notice an issue? Arabian Post strives to deliver the most accurate and reliable information to its readers. If you believe you have identified an error or inconsistency in this article, please don't hesitate to contact our editorial team at editor[at]thearabianpost[dot]com. We are committed to promptly addressing any concerns and ensuring the highest level of journalistic integrity.
Malay Mail
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
From Bahrain to Syria: Where US forces are stationed in the Middle East
WASHINGTON, June 23 — Iran yesterday threatened military bases used by US forces to launch attacks on the country's nuclear sites, saying such facilities would be considered legitimate targets. The United States has thousands of troops deployed on bases across the Middle East. Below, AFP examines countries with major concentrations of US forces in the Middle East, which falls under the US military's Central Command (Centcom). Bahrain The tiny Gulf kingdom hosts an installation known as Naval Support Activity Bahrain, where the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and US Naval Forces Central Command headquarters are based. Bahrain's deep-water port can accommodate the largest US military vessels, such as aircraft carriers, and the US Navy has used the base in the country since 1948, when the facility was operated by Britain's Royal Navy. Several US ships have their home port in Bahrain, including four anti-mine vessels and two logistical support ships. The US Coast Guard also has vessels in the country, including six fast response cutters. Iraq The United States has troops at various installations in Iraq, including Al-Asad and Arbil air bases. The Iraqi government is a close ally of Iran, but also a strategic partner of Tehran's arch-foe the United States. There are some 2,500 US troops in Iraq as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group. Baghdad and Washington have agreed on a timetable for the gradual withdrawal of the coalition's forces from the country. US forces in Iraq and Syria were repeatedly targeted by pro-Iran militants following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, but responded with heavy strikes on Tehran-linked targets, and the attacks largely subsided. Kuwait Kuwait has several US bases, including Camp Arifjan, the location of the forward headquarters for the US Army component of Centcom. The US Army also has stocks of prepositioned materiel in the country. Ali al-Salem Air Base hosts the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, which the military describes as the 'primary airlift hub and gateway for delivering combat power to joint and coalition forces' in the region. Additionally, the United States has drones including MQ-9 Reapers in Kuwait. Qatar Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar includes the forward components of Centcom, as well as of its air forces and special operation forces in the region. It also hosts rotating combat aircraft, as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which the military says includes 'airlift, aerial refueling intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and aeromedical evacuation assets.' Syria The United States has for years maintained troop presences at a series of installations in Syria as part of international efforts against the Islamic State group, which rose out of the country's civil war to overrun large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq. The Pentagon announced in April that it would roughly halve the number of its forces in the country to less than 1,000 in the coming months as part of a 'consolidation' of US troops in the country. In this image released by the US Air Force, a RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned surveillance drone sits in a hangar on February 17, 2019, at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. — US Air Force handout/AFP pic United Arab Emirates Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE hosts the US 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, a force that is composed of 10 squadrons of aircraft and also includes drones such as MQ-9 Reapers. Combat aircraft have rotated through Al Dhafra, which also hosts the Gulf Air Warfare Centre for air and missile defence training. — AFP
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The ‘jacked gorilla' general pushing Trump to strike Iran
'Shots fired!' shouted Gen Michael Kurilla moments before charging towards the sound of gunfire to save two junior officers. Weaving through the rubble-strewn alleyways of war-torn Mosul, Iraq, the then-lieutenant colonel was pursuing a group of terrorist suspects when three more shots rang out. Taking bullets to the arm and both legs, one snapping his femur in half, he 'performed a judo roll' and carried on firing his rifle, witnesses say. As the gunfire continued, he covered his troops and reeled off orders while bleeding on the concrete floor. Nearly 20 years later, Gen Kurilla, who was awarded a Bronze Star for valour and now heads the US military Central Command (Centcom), is once again leading the fight in the Middle East – this time against Iran. Known to be Israel's favourite general and nicknamed 'The Gorilla', Gen Kurilla is understood to have been given unusual levels of authority by Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, to determine the American response to the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. The 59-year-old has apparently overruled other top Pentagon officials in managing the crisis and has had nearly all his requests approved for more weapons and air defences for the region, multiple sources told Politico and Axios. More than six feet tall, the 'jacked' (muscular) general certainly looks the part and is known for his abrasive approach. He was investigated by the army last year for allegedly shoving a military crew member, although the outcome is not clear. According to one former official, his tough-guy persona and commanding physical presence give Gen Kurilla powerful influence over the US defence secretary. 'He's a big dude, he's jacked, he's exactly this 'lethality' look [Donald Trump and Mr Hegseth are] going for,' the ex-official told Politico. 'If the senior military guys come across as tough and war fighters, Hegseth is easily persuaded to their point of view.' The general is said to have had more face time with the US president than most other generals, according to Politico. Where Gen Dan Caine, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon policy chief, have repeatedly urged against overcommitting to the Middle East, Gen Kurilla is said to be pushing for a strong military response to Iran. As the department of defence (DoD) moves aircraft carriers and a large formation of refuelling planes to the region and the president mulls over a direct military strike on Iran, there is speculation that Gen Kurilla is pulling the strings behind the scenes. 'Hegseth has sided with him time and again,' a diplomat told the website. Hailed by Israeli news outlet Ynet as 'the US general Israel doesn't want to strike Iran without', Gen Kurilla is a long-time Iran hawk who is expected to retire from the military this summer. A veteran of Panama, the Gulf War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gen Kurilla is seen as 'one of Israel's staunchest allies in the American defence establishment', according to Ynet, and has travelled to the country dozens of times since he first visited as a young officer in his 20s. 'He knows the type of every munition launched at Israel that night, and where each interceptor was positioned,' an Israeli official told the news outlet last year. 'Wake him in the middle of the night, and he'd ace a pop quiz better than some of our own officers.' According to The New York Times, the general had been open to US involvement in an Israeli strike plan to attack Iran earlier this spring, combining a bombing campaign with commando raids on nuclear sites, but was blocked by Mr Trump, who favoured a diplomatic approach. 'He has been pushing for war with Iran and away from diplomacy since before Trump took office in ways that run over civilian officials,' Justin Logan, director of foreign policy and defence studies at the Cato Institute, told Responsible Statecraft. Since taking over as head of Centcom in 2022, Gen Kurilla has pursued a strategy of military integration with Israel and regional partners to deter Iranian aggression, known as 'Kurilla's umbrella'. The system has enabled US radar systems in the UAE and Qatar to aid Israeli defence and has included co-operation with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to Ynet. Explaining his approach to a US House congressional committee in March, Gen Kurilla said that Iran had taken a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the region to its advantage', which could be halted by a 'deep partnership' between Israel, the US and the Gulf States. He is also thought to have played an instrumental role in pushing for sustained attacks on Houthi Rebels in Yemen in March, according to the New York Times, details of which were later made public in the infamous Signal group chat leak. The 30-day operation cost more than $1 billion and was widely viewed as an ineffective use of resources, yet it enabled Mr Trump to strike a deal to end the fighting. Deployed to Israel in April, Gen Kurilla is said to have passed on the news to government officials there that the US would not endorse strikes on Iran to curb its uranium enrichment programme. He also is said to have released a statement in which he reiterated the two nations' 'ironclad military-to-military relationship', The Jerusalem Post reported. Gen Kurilla may have also played a decisive role in determining Israel's decision to pull the trigger on operation 'Rising Lion' last Friday, when it launched a devastating series of precision air strikes on Iranian military sites and personnel. Although Israel acquiesced to Mr Trump's demands in April to hold off attacking Iran, military sources told The Jerusalem Post at the time that they hoped to strike before Gen Kurilla stepped down in July, recognising him as a key ally. 'I think it's been reported, and you know, based on my experience with him, that he takes a fundamentally different view of the importance of the Middle East than a lot of other people in the administration,' Dan Caldwell, former adviser to Mr Hegseth, told the Breaking Points podcast on Monday. He added: 'And he also, I think, believes that a military campaign against Iran will not be as costly as others.' With time running out before Iran produces an atomic bomb and with Gen Kurilla's retirement looming, it may well be that Israel saw its window of opportunity closing. Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said: 'Secretary Hegseth empowers all of his combatant commanders the same way – by decentralising command and harnessing their real-world expertise regarding the defence of their respective areas of responsibility. 'The entire DoD leadership team – from the chairman of the joint chiefs to the undersecretary of defence for policy – similarly provide courses of action and counsel to the secretary based on their expertise. The secretary then makes a decision and final recommendation to the president. This is how the Pentagon does, and should, function. Our senior leaders are in lockstep and will continue to work in unison to deliver on President Trump's national security agenda.'
