U.S. naval blockade cuts $25 billion from Iran’s oil revenue, leaves IRGC unable to pay troops
U.S. Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper said on Friday that the United States’ naval blockade and associated economic pressure have denied Iran at least $25 billion in oil export revenue and left the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unable to pay its troops.
The assessment highlights the widening financial strain on Tehran’s security forces as Washington intensifies a coordinated campaign that targets three pillars of the regime’s fiscal survival: oil exports, digital financing and security‑force payroll.
Cooper explained that the blockade has halted Iran’s ability to ship crude oil, a loss he described as “devastating costs” for the Iranian security apparatus. The United States has kept the strategic Strait of Hormuz open for commercial traffic, with roughly 400 merchant vessels passing through the waterway in the past week and U.S. forces helping regional partners move more than 100 million barrels of oil during that period, adding to over 1.3 billion barrels shipped in recent months.
“The sum total of these actions has imposed devastating costs on Iran’s security apparatus and the IRGC specifically,” Cooper declared.
In addition to seizing oil revenues, U.S. agencies have frozen nearly $350 million in cryptocurrency assets linked to Iran, further limiting the regime’s ability to fund weapons programs, proxy networks or rebuild military infrastructure.
Financial pressure is also being felt within Iran’s own payroll system. Cooper reported that the Iranian government is withholding salaries, pensions and benefits across multiple sectors, including the IRGC itself. He said reports indicate militia groups aligned with Tehran are diverting funds to the IRGC while the guard struggles to meet its own payment obligations.
The current campaign builds on earlier operations, including the 38‑day “Operation Epic Fury” conducted earlier this year, which targeted Iran’s naval capabilities and weapons factories. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who oversees “Operation Economic Outcast,” called it the greatest economic isolation effort in history and noted that September marked the first month on record in which Iran loaded no crude oil for export.
President Donald Trump, speaking at a rally in Georgia, underscored the impact, noting that Iran’s inflation has surged to 301 percent and that its navy, air force and broader military capabilities have been “devastated.” Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, condemned the sanctions as “beyond the bounds of humanity,” while Iranian military spokesmen warned of continued attacks on shipping.
Humanitarian assistance remains the only exception to the blockade, Cooper said, as the United States continues to enforce the naval restriction while allowing essential aid to reach Iranian civilians.
