From the turbulent Red Sea of 2024 to the battlefield of the Iran War in 2025 — Admiral Brad Cooper stands at a very important and dangerous juncture in US military history. His rise from vice admiral to full admiral and head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) — his rise to prominence in suppressing Yemen's Houthi rebels — was no accident. This is largely the result of a unique and effective combination of his battlefield acumen and political acumen.
CNN's analytical report revealed how the Navy admiral, known as a 'soft-spoken politician' and 'people pleaser', became one of the main masterminds of the Trump administration's war against Iran. The report uncovers the real story behind the stark contrasts between his predecessor General Kurila and Cooper, Cooper's deep and personal connections with Israel's military and political leadership, and his extremely powerful position both politically and militarily.
Today's special and detailed arrangement of the Dhaka Post is about this tyrant artist behind the 'Operation Epic Fury' announced by President Trump.
The Red Sea Crisis and Cooper's Courageous Leadership
Summer 2024. The calm and important waterway of the Red Sea suddenly became extremely turbulent. Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched a series of drone and missile attacks on international cargo ships. The Red Sea is one of the world's major and busiest trade routes; If the movement of ships through here is stopped or disrupted, there is a danger of deadlock and collapse in world trade. Fearing Houthi attacks, most large ships are forced to bypass this safe route and travel thousands of miles to the south of the African continent. This increases both the time and cost of transportation of goods abnormally.Which affects the global market. Although the US and British air forces counter-attacked the Houthis, it did not bring the desired success. By August, the Houthis had sunk two large cargo ships and killed several innocent sailors in attacks. The situation was spiraling out of control and into a major regional war.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper made an unprecedented and risky decision to suppress Houthi rebels in the Red Sea in 2024. He did not just sit in the office, but showed the courage to go to the battlefield to understand the situation and lead. It was his pragmatic tactics and bravery that earned him the rank of full admiral and paved the way for the Trump administration to head the all-important US Central Command (CENTCOM).
In the face of this extreme and terrible crisis, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper took a very brave and exceptional decision. He was then the second-in-command of US Central Command or CENTCOM. As the former commander of the US Navy's all-important Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, he knew the entire region and its geopolitics very well. Dan Shapiro, the Defense Department's top Middle East affairs official, said Cooper didn't want to just sit in his cool office and rely on reports from subordinate commanders. He himself wanted to understand the depth of the problem and the actual situation by going to the battlefield in person. According to Shapiro, this meant that 'Cooper would place himself under junior officers who were far below him in rank and was a very risky move on the battlefield.'
Cooper's unprecedented move makes it clear that he is not just a ideologue or a headquarters warrior; His ability to understand the real situation and lead the front is immense.
Cooper's rise as CENTCOM chief and Trump's Iran war
Exactly two years after this event, Cooper is no longer a vice admiral; He was promoted to full admiral and a very powerful centcom-Its chief or commander. He now leads the ongoing US-Israeli joint war against Iran as commander-in-chief. It is a huge and historic responsibility. Cooper briefed the president at the White House detailing all possible military options and their consequences, just days before President Donald Trump gave his final order to launch all-out military operations against Iran on February 28.
But as the war spreads throughout the Middle East, the situation becomes more complicated and dire. Iran continues to retaliate against US military bases and assets, Gulf neighbors and commercial shipping across the Middle East. What is the ultimate political goal of this war is becoming increasingly vague and nebulous. And the risk of this war? It has increased significantly for the entire world.
Admiral Cooper is not only a skilled soldier but also a visionary politician. During a Navy career that spanned more than three decades, he developed strong relationships with influential Congressional lawmakers in Washington. He also has deep and effective connections with the military and political leadership of America's allies in the Middle East. His political foresight and public relations skills put him in a strong position in military operations as well as in diplomatic negotiations
Admiral Cooper is now under tremendous and unprecedented pressure. Legendary CENTCOM commanders such as Generals Norman Schwarzkopf and David Petraeus oversaw and led previous major US wars in the Middle East (such as the Gulf War and the Iraq War). Like them, Cooper must wrest a final and visible victory on the battlefield. But in front of him there is a much bigger challenge and religious crisis than the previous commanders. He has been asked to execute a complex and devastating war plan against Iran that has existed in some form or draft within the Pentagon for years. But previous American presidents (Obama, Trump-1,
see more..
