The war between the United States and Iran has heated up once again.\nAfter a period of restraint lasting several weeks, both nations resumed\nmutual strikes in early September 2026.<\/p>\n
The escalation began when the US military attacked two launchers\nbelonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Larak\nIsland, near the Strait of Hormuz, on Sunday (30\/8\/2026). Iran\nsubsequently retaliated by firing missiles at two US air bases in\nJordan.<\/p>\n
The conflict expanded on Tuesday (1\/9\/2026), as the US attacked IRGC\nair defence systems, radar installations, maritime facilities,\nmine-laying capabilities, and communication networks.<\/p>\n
Iran responded again by launching missiles and drones at several US\nfacilities in Jordan, Bahrain, and Iraq.<\/p>\n
Behind this series of attacks lies U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM,\nthe military command responsible for US operations in the Middle East,\nincluding Iran.<\/p>\n
CENTCOM acts as the link between political decisions in Washington\nand military operations on the ground. The command manages the\ndeployment of warships, fighter jets, ground forces, Marines, and\nspecial forces involved in an operation.<\/p>\n
In Tuesday\u2019s attacks, CENTCOM stated that its forces struck several\nIRGC targets in response to attempts to attack commercial vessels in the\nStrait of Hormuz and US personnel.<\/p>\n
CENTCOM also noted that more than 50,000 US military personnel are\ncurrently operating in the Middle East, prepared to execute further\norders from US President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
What is CENTCOM?<\/strong><\/p>\n CENTCOM is one of 11 unified combatant commands within the US\nmilitary. Each command has responsibilities based on region or function.\nSeven commands handle specific territories, while four others perform\nspecialised tasks such as elite force operations, military transport,\nstrategic weapons, and cyber operations.<\/p>\n CENTCOM is responsible for the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts\nof South Asia. Iran falls within its area of operations.<\/p>\n The name \u2018Central\u2019 is used because the region is situated in the\ncentre between the US commands for Europe and the Indo-Pacific.<\/p>\n Despite being responsible for the Middle East, CENTCOM\u2019s main\nheadquarters is located at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.\nFrom this headquarters, multi-domain operations are planned,\ncoordinated, and supervised.<\/p>\n CENTCOM\u2019s area of responsibility spans over 4 million square miles,\ninhabited by more than 560 million people. This region also serves as a\nmeeting point for various global trade routes, flight paths, energy\npipelines, and vital shipping lanes.<\/p>\n A total of 21 countries fall within CENTCOM\u2019s area of responsibility,\nplacing the command in several regions highly prone to conflict.<\/p>\n In addition to facing Iran, the command manages the threat of ISIS in\nIraq and Syria, attacks by armed groups, maritime security, and the\ncompetition for influence with Russia and China.<\/p>\n Some of the world\u2019s most important sea lanes are within its\nterritory, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian\nSea, and parts of the Red Sea.<\/p>\n No Permanent Forces<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite leading large-scale operations, CENTCOM is essentially a\ncommand headquarters. The organisation does not have combat units\npermanently stationed under its direct command.<\/p>\n Forces are placed under CENTCOM\u2019s control according to operational\nneeds. These forces are drawn from various branches and are linked\nthrough six main commands.<\/p>\n ARCENT has its forward headquarters in Kuwait, while AFCENT and\nSOCCENT have forward headquarters in Qatar. NAVCENT is based in Bahrain,\nwhich also serves as the headquarters for the US Navy\u2019s Fifth Fleet.<\/p>\n This structure allows CENTCOM to conduct operations involving\nmultiple domains simultaneously. An attack can utilise Air Force\nbombers, Navy warships, Marine forces, ground units, and satellite\nsupport all under a single command.<\/p>\n Born After the Iranian Revolution<\/strong><\/p>\n The history of CENTCOM\u2019s formation is inseparable from Iran. The\ncreation of this command began with major changes in the Middle East in\nthe late 1970s.<\/p>\n The 1979 Iranian Revolution ended with the overthrow of Shah Mohammad\nReza Pahlavi, a close US ally. In the same year, the Soviet Union\ninvaded Afghanistan.<\/p>\n These two events caused great concern for the US regarding the loss\nof influence and access to the Persian Gulf region. US President Jimmy\nCarter subsequently formed the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force in\nMarch 1980 to ensure the US could deploy troops quickly during\ncrises.<\/p>\n Then, on 1 January 1983, President Ronald Reagan transformed that\nunit into the U.S. Central Command.<\/p>\n CENTCOM\u2019s first combat operations took place in 1987-1988, during the\nIran-Iraq War. At that time, the US military protected Kuwaiti oil\ntankers from the threat of Iranian mines in the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n Its role grew significantly after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. CENTum\nled Operation Desert Shield to protect Saudi Arabia, followed by\nOperation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait in 1991.<\/p>\n Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the command led the US war\nin Afghanistan. CENTCOM also led the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and\ncoalition operations against ISIS since 2014.<\/p>\n In 2025, CENTCOM conducted Operation Rough Rider against Houthi\ngroups in Yemen and Operation Midnight Hammer targeting Iranian nuclear\nfacilities.<\/p>\n CENTCOM then launched Operation Epic Fury on 28 February 2026 under\norders from the US President. This operation has become the primary US\nmilitary campaign against Iran.<\/p>\n Admiral Brad Cooper Leads CENTCOM<\/strong><\/p>\n CENTCOM is currently led by Admiral Brad Cooper, a four-star officer\nof the US Navy. He holds control over the execution of US military\noperations in Iran and other regions under CENTCOM\u2019s responsibility.<\/p>\n However, Cooper is not the party making the political decisions to\ninitiate war. That authority rests with Trump and Hegseth.<\/p>",
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