'Is this a joke?': Centcom podcast mocked as Iran war drags on

The United States Central Command (Centcom) launched its official podcast, "Inside Centcom," which quickly drew widespread ridicule. In the 12-minute debut episode, Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads the war in Iran, jokingly mentioned stealing French fries from his guest, Fleet Master Chief Lateef Compton. The pair only briefly touched on the unpopular war, now in its ninth month.

Centcom turned off comments on YouTube, likely anticipating backlash. The podcast was described as an attempt to reach young men who might one day fight Washington's wars in the Middle East, but viewers were largely unsatisfied. Amnesty International and UN human rights experts condemned a recent US strike on a school in Minab, Iran, which killed 120 children, calling it a violation of international humanitarian law.

The US has spent over $47.1 billion on the war, and American consumers have paid more than $153 billion in additional fuel costs. Critics argued that the podcast was a desperate attempt at Gen Z propaganda to attract younger audiences.