CENTCOM Commander Concludes 10-Day Tour of the Middle East

Welat TV – Erbil

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper has concluded a 10-day tour of the Middle East, visiting six countries and the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is operating in the Arabian Sea.

In a statement on Sunday, August 16, 2026, CENTCOM said Cooper met with civilian and military officials in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as with U.S. service members deployed across the region, numbering more than 50,000 troops.

During his tour, Cooper presided in Jordan over a ceremony marking the change of command of the Combined Joint Task Force—Operation Inherent Resolve. He also visited the USS Abraham Lincoln for the second time this year, met with its crew, and recognized a number of its personnel.

Cooper said the Lincoln Carrier Strike Group had carried out “one of the most intense and operationally significant missions in modern times.”

According to CENTCOM, the aircraft carrier began its mission in November last year and arrived in the Middle East in January. Its strike group conducted thousands of sorties in support of military operations and regional security, in addition to missions related to the U.S. naval blockade imposed on Iran.