CENTCOM chief ends 10-day West Asia tour amid Iran tensions

Commander of US Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper concluded a 10-day trip to West Asia on August 15, visiting six countries and the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, according to a CENTCOM statement. The tour included stops in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, where he met senior civilian and military leaders. The visit comes as the US maintains a naval blockade on Iran amid tensions over the Strait of Hormuz.

The Economic Times reports that Cooper praised the Lincoln Carrier Strike Group's deployment as "one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era." Hindustan Times adds that the carrier has spent over 240 days at sea, raising concerns about morale and mental health. Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the carrier "crushed their deployment" and would return home soon as part of a planned rotation. The two sources also differ on details: The Economic Times says more than 50,000 US service members are deployed across West Asia, while Hindustan Times notes the carrier deployment is over 240 days.

Separately, Hindustan Times reports that US negotiator Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt to advance the stalled Gaza ceasefire. Kushner is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Meanwhile, Israel targeted two Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon, killing at least 11 people, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.