The United States is expanding pressure on Iran beyond the naval blockade by creating a special task force to restrict deliveries across land borders and through the Caspian Sea. Task Force Iron Gate will be based in Tampa, Florida, and will work with other US government agencies.
Its tasks include tracking and stopping the movement of advanced weapons systems, sanctioned materials and dual-use technologies. Washington is also targeting illegal sources of revenue that it says support Iran’s military and economic infrastructure.
“Strengthening Central Command’s cooperation with its US interagency partners will further limit Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories and replenish its military,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US Central Command.A US military official said the coordination is expected to involve the Treasury, State and Justice departments, as well as intelligence agencies. The goal is to combine military, financial and intelligence measures against supply channels.
Iran Has Used Overland and Air Routes
A Reuters investigation found that Iran had created a network of military structures through which it imported equipment, explosives and heavy-duty trucks worth at least $2 billion from January 2025 onward. According to the investigation, the deliveries bypassed the US naval blockade and Western sanctions.
The materials reached Iran on cargo ships from Russia via the Caspian Sea, by truck from Central Asia and on cargo planes from China. These routes are among the reasons Washington is directing its new initiative at overland and Caspian trade.
Central Command estimates that the naval blockade has already prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion worth of crude oil. However, the measure has not completely cut off the country’s supplies, which US officials say are being delivered through alternative channels.
New Tensions Surrounding the Blockade
On November 7, US forces said they had disabled a cargo ship flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Gulf of Oman. According to Central Command, the vessel ignored several warnings and attempted to leave the area after visiting an Iranian port.
The incident occurred amid an ongoing blockade around the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of the world’s oil supplies passed before the war. Iran, meanwhile, had threatened retaliatory action against infrastructure in Persian Gulf countries.
Mediators have stepped up efforts to end the war between the US and Iran, but Washington is simultaneously preparing new instruments of pressure. According to US intelligence assessments cited by Reuters, new strikes on Iran would not significantly change Tehran’s position at the negotiating table and would not lead to the fall of its government.
Sources: reuters.com, investing.com, apnews.com