India, June 25 -- U.S. forces in the Middle East are laser-focused on warfighting, lethality and readiness, and they are performing superbly, said Navy Vice Adm. Charles B. Cooper II, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, while testifying at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing for his nomination to admiral and Centcom commander.
"The Middle East is incredibly dynamic today. There are challenges, for sure, but also real strategic opportunities," he said, noting that although Iran has been tactically degraded, it remains the leading source of instability in the region and the top sponsor of terror throughout the world.
Cooper also cited the continued threat posed by Islamic State in Iraq, Syria and the Pakistan-Afghanistan border,...