U.S. Navy Adm. Charles Cooper II, U.S. Central Command commander, testified for a Senate Armed Services Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C., May 14, 2026. (U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Milton Hamilton)
WASHINGTON — As the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran continues to teeter, the man in charge of leading America’s military operations has sent a direct message to the forces under his command: “protecting civilian life” is paramount and a key part of their job.
A memo from US Central Command head Adm. Bradley Cooper, dated May 26 and distributed throughout CENTCOM, specifically calls out that “Protecting civilian life is part of our culture as a professional fighting force … It is embedded in how we plan, how we target, and how we fight.
“Every target nomination. Every strike. Every engagement,” the unclassified memo, which was viewed by Breaking Defense, continues. “At every echelon, from the campaign plan to the individual tactical decision, you will distinguish between those who fight and those who do not, applying force only against lawful military objectives, and exercise judgment before you employ your weapons.
“Our commitment to the law of armed conflict is not a constraint on our lethality,” Cooper wrote. “It is the source of our legitimacy, the reason our partners choose to stand with us, and a direct contributor to our operational effectiveness. A force that fights with discipline and fidelity to the law is more lethal, not less.”
