--- title: "US commander: Iran-backed groups sending money back to IRGC" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-commander-iran-backed-groups-sending-money-back-to-irgc" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-commander-iran-backed-groups-sending-money-back-to-irgc" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-commander-iran-backed-groups-sending-money-back-to-irgc.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-commander-iran-backed-groups-sending-money-back-to-irgc" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-10-18T03:45:59.957Z" source_reported: "2026-10-17T16:03:47.234Z" updated: "2026-10-18T03:45:59.957Z" trust_score: 80 critic_score: 85 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-18T06:00:16.923791+00:00" --- # US commander: Iran-backed groups sending money back to IRGC *Admiral Brad Cooper says economic crisis forces reversal of funding flow from militias to Tehran.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 80 of 100, higher is better. Trust 80: multiple independent outlets cite Admiral Brad Cooper’s statement with specific $25 bn loss and $350 m crypto freeze. - Craft 85 of 100, higher is better. Critic 85: explains why the funding shift matters, separates facts from comment, provides specific figures and future outlook. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Hype 30: language is measured; headlines are mildly emphatic but body matches the claims. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Iran-backed militias are sending money to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) because of Iran's economic crisis, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, stated. - The U.S. naval blockade has cost Iran an estimated $25 billion in lost oil revenue, Cooper said. - Approximately $350 million in Iranian cryptocurrency assets have been frozen, according to Cooper. - CENTCOM has largely paused strikes on Iranian positions threatening the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks. Iran-backed militias are redirecting funds to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) due to Iran's economic crisis, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, stated. Cooper said this reversal of the typical funding flow, where Tehran supports regional groups, is a consequence of mounting economic pressure on Iran. He noted that the financial strain is so severe that some militias may be withholding payments from their own fighters to send money back to the IRGC, which is also struggling to pay its troops. The U.S. naval blockade has cost Iran an estimated $25 billion in lost oil revenue, Cooper reported. Additionally, U.S. Central Command and the U.S. Treasury Department have frozen $350 million in Iranian cryptocurrency assets. Cooper also stated that CENTCOM has mostly paused strikes on Iranian military positions threatening the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks. ## Disagreement on Strait of Hormuz traffic The Jerusalem Post reported that 400 ships and 100 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the previous week. This detail was not mentioned in the right-rated digests. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports mentioned the detail that 400 ships and 100 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the previous week, a fact reported by the Jerusalem Post. ## Who covered it Shares of the 8 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 13% (1) - Centre: 24% (2) - Right: 63% (5) 9 of 17 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-18T06:00:16.923791+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 10 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-18T06:15:13.186Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated report from Axios led on the statement that Iran-backed militias are sending money back to the IRGC to relieve economic pressure. It also mentioned that the U.S. military has been preparing for a possible resumption of major combat operations against Iran while the Trump administration continues to put immense pressure on the regime with its naval blockade. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports from the Jerusalem Post and Worthy Christian News highlighted Admiral Brad Cooper's statement that Iran-backed militias are redirecting money to the IRGC due to Iran's economic crisis. Both reports mentioned the estimated $25 billion in lost oil revenue from the U.S. naval blockade and the $350 million in frozen cryptocurrency assets. The Jerusalem Post also noted that CENTCOM has mostly paused strikes on Iranian military positions threatening the Strait of Hormuz and reported on the volume of traffic through the waterway. ### Right - The right-rated reports from news-pravda.com, Times of India, Yonhap News Agency, The Epoch Times, and Reformatorisch Dagblad led on the assertion that Iran-backed groups are sending money back to the IRGC amid economic pressure, citing U.S. officials. Several of these reports, including Times of India and Yonhap News Agency, specifically mentioned the $25 billion in lost oil revenue and the $350 million in frozen cryptocurrency assets. The Epoch Times included a photograph of ships near the Strait of Hormuz. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - mixed: 1 - high: 4 - unknown: 10 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Unknown](https://srugim.co.il/101013693-%D7%94%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%92%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%9A-%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%92%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%98%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%A0%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%9E%D7%9F-%D7%90%D7%AA) — The Wheel Has Turned: Terrorist Organizations Are Forced to Finance the Revolutionary Guards - [mako](https://mako.co.il/news-israel/2026_q4/Article-63ba52be70a41a1026.htm) — Iran Is Having Trouble Paying, Hamas Continues to Profit | Weekend News 10/17/26 - [Im Arabic](https://imarabic.com/%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AA%D9%84%D9%82%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%85-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AA%D9%85%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%AA) — From Receiving Support to Funding the Revolutionary Guards... a Remarkable Transformation of Iran's Network of Influence. - [yalibnan.com](https://yalibnan.com/2026/10/17/iran-backed-militias-sending-money-back-to-cash-starved-irgc-u-s-says) — Iran-backed militias sending money back to cash-starved IRGC, U.S. says – Ya Libnan - [L'Informateur.](https://qactus.fr/2026/10/17/iran-pentagone-accuse-hamas-hezbollah) — Iran: Pentagon Accuses Hamas and Hezbollah of Financing Iran in Secret · Global Voices - [Jerusalem Post](https://jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-911962) — Iran-backed militias funnel money to IRGC amid economic crisis, CENTCOM commander Cooper says - [Pentapostagma](https://pentapostagma.gr/kosmos/mesi-anatoli/7394507_oi-enoples-organoseis-mazeyoyn-lefta-gia-toys-froyroys-toy-iran) — Armed Groups Raise Money for Iran's Guards - [skai.gr](https://skai.gr/news/world/centcom-oikonomiko-adieksodo-sto-iran-oi-enoples-organoseis-epistrefoun-lefta-sto-irgc) — CENTCOM: Financial Impasse in Iran – Armed Organizations Return Money to IRGC - [news-pravda.com](https://news-pravda.com/russia/2026/10/17/2672794.html) — CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper reports on the success of US economic pressure on Iran - [Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/iran-broke-25-billion-oil-loss-350-million-crypto-frozen-as-militias-send-money-back-to-irgc-says-us/articleshow/135006374.cms) — Iran broke? $25 billion oil loss, $350 million crypto frozen as militias send money back to IRGC, says US - [Worthy Christian News](https://worthynews.com/118263-irans-terror-proxies-now-sending-money-back-to-tehran-as-economic-crisis-deepens-u-s-commander-says) — Iran’s Terror Proxies Now Sending Money Back To Tehran As Economic Crisis Deepens, U.S. Commander Says - [연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency](https://yna.co.kr/view/AKR20261017020100009) — "Even Iran's Innovation Corps Faces Unpaid wages... Recovering Money Paid to Proxy Forces" - [The Epoch Times](https://theepochtimes.com/world/iran-backed-groups-sending-money-to-irgc-amid-economic-pressure-us-says-6105103) — Iran-Backed Groups Sending Money to IRGC Amid Economic Pressure, US Says - [hathalyoum.net](https://hathalyoum.net/articles/4248639) — The Money Runs backwards... "Sintcom": Iraqi Factions Financing Iran's Revolutionary Guards. - [Reformatorisch Dagblad](https://rd.nl/a/topmilitair-vs-milities-sturen-geld-terug-naar-iran) — Top US Military Official: Militias Send Money Back to Iran - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/9b39c8f56f0ced0c) — Iran-backed militias sending money back to cash-starved IRGC, U.S. says - [Axios](https://axios.com/2026/10/16/iran-backed-militias-sending-money-irgc-centcom) — Iran-backed militias sending money back to cash-starved IRGC, U.S. says ## Questions **Why are Iran-backed militias sending money back to the IRGC?** Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, stated that Iran's economic crisis has forced Iran-backed militias to redirect funds to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This represents a reversal of the usual funding flow, where Tehran supports regional groups. **How much has the U.S. naval blockade cost Iran?** According to Admiral Brad Cooper, the U.S. naval blockade has cost Iran an estimated $25 billion in lost oil revenue. He also reported that $350 million in Iranian cryptocurrency assets have been frozen. **What is the status of U.S. strikes on Iranian positions near the Strait of Hormuz?** CENTCOM has largely paused strikes on Iranian military positions that threaten the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, Admiral Brad Cooper stated. This comes amid reports of increased Iranian attacks on shipping in the waterway. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-commander-iran-backed-groups-sending-money-back-to-irgc. 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