CENTCOM Chief Concludes Middle East Visit as Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Operates

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, has completed a 10-day trip to six Middle Eastern nations, including Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. According to the statement, more than 50,000 American service members are currently operating across the region. During his visit, Cooper presided over the leadership transition of the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) in Jordan, where Rear Admiral Liam Hulin succeeded Major General Kevin Lambert. Admiral Cooper also visited the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea for the second time this year, where he commended the dedication of the deployed troops. He described the current deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era. The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, which arrived in the region in January, has conducted thousands of combat flights in support of Operation Epic Fury, regional security missions, and the ongoing US naval blockade against Iran.