Zimmerman said allies and partners in the Middle East must take greater responsibility for their own security. In Africa, he said the United States is shifting from an aid-focused relationship toward one centered on trade and investment with capable and reliable partners pursuing shared interests.
The War Department will prioritize direct action against Islamist terrorists in Africa who are capable of and intent on striking the U.S. homeland, Zimmerman said. He added that the United States will also work to empower African partners to destroy terrorist organizations across the continent.
Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, said CENTCOM was created in direct response to threats posed by Iran. He said the Iranian regime has threatened the region since 1979 and made hostility toward the United States a central element of its rule.
Cooper said Iran also poses a severe threat to its own population, citing the killing of tens of thousands of innocent Iranians during protests. “Iran has long had three pillars of intimidation and coercion: their nuclear program, their ballistic missiles and drones, and their proxies — especially Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis,” Cooper said.
The admiral said all signs indicated Iran intended to create a nuclear weapon and then protect its nuclear program with ballistic missiles and drones. “They did it for two reasons: to create a shield to make their nuclear site untouchable and to create an offensive capability so large that regional partners couldn’t possibly defend against it,” he said.
Air Force Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, commander of U.S. Africa Command, said AFRICOM is prioritizing willing and capable partners. He said the department supports partners with capabilities only the United States can provide, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance targeting and precision strikes.
Anderson said China is seeking to control critical minerals and infrastructure in Africa, while Russia is exploiting instability to extract resources that support its war machine. To respond to those challenges, he said AFRICOM is pursuing low-cost, high-yield activities to increase the department’s impact on the continent.
