Iran’s top security official accused the commander of U.S. Central Command of organizing oil smuggling through the Strait of Hormuz and warned of “new capabilities” if Washington strikes again, sharpening tensions over the strategic waterway.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, made the claims in statements to Press TV on Monday, October 12. He alleged that Centcom commander Brad Cooper is behind operations in which small boats transfer crude oil to large tanker ships.

According to Rezaei, Iranian forces attack between five and six of these boats every night, which he described as illicit activities linked to U.S. actors.

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Those nightly operations, Rezaei said, target illicit activities tied to U.S. actors. Neither Washington nor Abu Dhabi had commented on the allegations by the time they were broadcast.

The accusation came as a direct rebuttal to President Donald Trump, who had declared that the strait remains open. Rezaei countered that Iran maintains control of the maritime corridor, which is essential to the global transport of oil and other raw materials.

His remarks echo earlier comments by Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi, who said that the transit of commercial vessels through Hormuz without prior coordination remained prohibited. Gharibabadi added that a return to normal navigation would depend on Washington meeting its international obligations and abandoning what he called the military path.

Threats Against Infrastructure

Rezaei warned that Tehran would turn to “new capabilities” if United States launches another attack, without detailing what those measures would be. Among possible responses, he mentioned strikes on regional data transmission infrastructure, processing centers and facilities linked to artificial intelligence, assets that, he said, are not yet on Iran’s target list.

He cautioned that a new offensive could destroy a significant portion of those facilities and cables, whose value he estimated at more than $2 trillion. That figure is Rezaei’s own estimate and was not corroborated by other sources.

The statements come amid persistent tensions between Tehran and Washington, following the confrontations that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint military strikes against Iran. Tehran responded with actions against Israel and against what it described as U.S. military installations in Arab countries.

Although both sides signed a memorandum of understanding in June, sporadic attacks, the continued presence of U.S. forces in the region and disagreements over navigation in Hormuz continue to complicate negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, and any disruption to traffic there can ripple through global oil markets. Neither government has said whether talks are scheduled, and it remains unclear how the competing claims about who controls the waterway will be resolved.

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