US establishes Task Force Iron Gate to block Iran’s land routes

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday the creation of Task Force Iron Gate to stop Iran from using ground routes to move advanced weapons, dual‑use technologies and other sanctioned materials.

Based in Tampa, Florida, the new task force will work with other US agencies to monitor and disrupt the movement of weapons systems, energy supplies and illegal revenue streams across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea, CENTCOM said.

Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said the task force will reinforce “the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea”. The naval blockade, already in place for months, targets Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.

Former US deputy assistant defence secretary for the Middle East Michael Mulroy told Al Jazeera the unit will identify where weapons are entering Iran and how they are transported, adding that any escalation ordered by President Donald Trump would likely target economic and infrastructure sites rather than purely military ones.

In a related action, CENTCOM reported disabling a St. Kitts‑flagged cargo vessel, M/V Huda, in the Gulf of Oman after directing the crew to abandon the ship. Since July, US forces have redirected 147 commercial vessels that complied and disabled five that refused.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported explosions on Qeshm Island and in the cities of Jask, Sirik and Bandar Abbas, while the IRGC Navy said two oil tankers hit mines near the Strait of Hormuz.

Source: Al Jazeera. Photo: Marina Leonova / Pexels.