Bard Cooper, commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said that actions by Washington so far have prevented the export of at least $25 billion worth of Iran’s crude oil and increased economic pressure on the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

In a video message posted to CENTCOM’s X account on Friday, October 15, Cooper said these revenues could have been used to finance the Islamic Republic’s proxy groups, criminal networks, and attacks against the United States and its allies.

He also announced that CENTCOM, in cooperation with other U.S. institutions, has helped to block nearly $350 million in cryptocurrency assets linked to the Islamic Republic.

The CENTCOM commander said that U.S. economic pressure has affected the Islamic Republic’s ability to pay the salaries and benefits of personnel in different sectors, including the security forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Cooper added that there are reports indicating that some Iran-backed armed groups in the region have stopped paying their fighters’ salaries in order to provide more financial resources to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

In another part of his remarks, he said Iran’s naval blockade remains in place.