CENTCOM Commander Joins US Negotiating Team

US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper participated in the Muscat talks alongside envoy Witkoff and Kushner, the first time a senior military commander was included in US-Iran nuclear diplomacy. Cooper's presence underscored the military pressure underpinning the diplomatic track, with the USS Abraham Lincoln and growing air assets in the region serving as implicit leverage. Iranian officials noted the inclusion as evidence of US coercive intent.