Adm. Charles Bradford "Brad" Cooper Jr. was appointed commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East — including against Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen, replacing Gen. Michael Kurilla, who had held the post since April 2022.
The change-of-command ceremony took place overnight at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida.
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Adm. Brad Cooper with then Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Amir Baram during a visit to Israel in early 2025
(Photo: IDF)
A seasoned naval warfare officer, Cooper has served as CENTCOM’s deputy commander since February. Before that, he led U.S. naval forces in the Middle East for three years, commanding the Fifth Fleet and spearheading multinational maritime cooperation. His career includes key leadership roles across U.S. Pacific and Africa Commands, the Pentagon and the White House. He also served in combat operations in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and the Red Sea, and as a senior adviser to the Afghan government.
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During his time in naval command, Cooper directed maritime operations against Iran and the Houthis, including the campaign launched in December to secure commercial shipping in the Gulf and Red Sea. He described it in February as “the largest and most intense operation by the U.S. Navy since World War II.” He also initiated the Navy’s first task force integrating unmanned systems and artificial intelligence.
Cooper is regarded as a close ally of Israel and is highly familiar with the regional landscape. In early 2025, he visited Israel at the invitation of then-IDF deputy chief of staff Amir Baram, toured Air Force bases, attended operational briefings in the north and south and held discussions with senior IDF officials on confronting the Houthi threat. He also participated in strategic assessments and air drills involving Israeli F-35s and American F-15s and was involved in planning the humanitarian aid pier for Gaza, ensuring Israel’s security needs were taken into account.
His predecessor, Kurilla, is ending a notably active tenure that began in April 2022 and included unprecedented support for Israel since the start of the war. Kurilla visited Israel more than 15 times in two years, including during and before the current war. Israeli defense officials credit him with key Pentagon decisions, such as deploying U.S. aircraft carriers to the region.