“This is the reality…” Mohebbi wrote in a one-line post on his X account, sharing a photo showing Cooper aboard an aircraft over the sea, with a burning supertanker visible below and the caption “BRENT CRUDE: $117 A BARREL.”
The IRGC spokesman’s post came after Cooper visited the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, flying over the strategic waterway in a US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter, according to an official statement.
By pairing the image of the US military commander with a burning oil tanker and soaring crude prices, Mohebbi appeared to mock Washington’s position on the strait and highlight the impact of the US-Israeli war of aggression on global energy markets.
The post also challenged US assertions that the vital maritime passage remains open amid Iran’s measures to enforce its regulations over the waterway.
The IRGC Navy has asserted control over the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran, warning vessels against attempting to pass through unauthorized routes.
In a statement released on Friday, the IRGC Navy said two supertankers had exploded after striking sea mines while attempting to transit an unauthorized route in the southern part of the strait.
“The Strait of Hormuz is closed,” the IRGC declared, warning that vessels violating Iran’s regulations governing the strategic waterway risk being engulfed in flames.