US forms task force to disrupt Iran's land supply routes

A new US task force aimed at disrupting Iran's land supply routes was set up on Saturday, the US Central Command said in a statement.

The unit, called Task Force Iron Gate, has about 20 civilian and military personnel and will be based in Tampa, Florida, the command said in a statement posted on X.

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Brad Cooper, the command's chief, directed the task force's formation, the statement said.

The task force will work with other US government agencies to monitor and prevent the movement of advanced weapons, dual-use technologies and sanctioned materials across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea, the command said.

It will also target what Washington describes as illegal revenue streams moving through those routes.

"The establishment of Task Force Iron Gate reinforces the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea," Cooper said.

He added that closer cooperation with US agencies would further limit Tehran's ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories and replenish its military.

The announcement comes as Washington keeps up its naval blockade of Iranian ports, which the command said has prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion worth of crude oil in recent months.

The naval restrictions cover Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and enforcement at sea will continue against all vessels entering or leaving those ports, the command said.

Humanitarian aid remains exempt from the restrictions, the command said.

The Caspian Sea is bordered by Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, which makes it a route that is hard to police by sea alone.

Washington has used sanctions and other measures against Tehran for years over its nuclear and military programmes, and the new task force extends that pressure to overland trade.