US says Task Force Iron Gate now in effect to disrupt land routes into Iran
President Donald Trump said a new US task force is operating to disrupt land routes into Iran. Tehran has rejected the move as another attempt at economic pressure.
- The White House said Task Force Iron Gate is in full force in Iran.
- CENTCOM set up a roughly 20-member team on 7 November, based in Tampa, Florida.
- Iran rejected the step; a Guard spokesperson said the US would fail to impose an effective blockade.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday that a new US task force, Task Force Iron Gate, is in place to disrupt land routes into Iran. The US military says these routes are used to move weapons and illicit materials, according to Arab News.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the team on Saturday, according to Arab News and Gulf News. Gulf News reported that it has about 20 members and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. It extends a US naval blockade of Iranian ports during what Arab News described as an eight-month war.
The White House announced the move on its official account on X. It said: "Task Force Iron Gate is in full force and effect in the Islamic Republic of Iran." Trump said very little gets into, or out of, Iran, referring to the combined effect of the naval blockade and the new task force.
According to Gulf News, the task force will work with US government agencies to disrupt the movement of advanced weapons systems, military equipment, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials, restricted goods and revenue streams Washington considers illicit. Unlike the naval blockade, which targets ports and maritime trade, it covers Iran's overland supply networks and the Caspian Sea.
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the effort would "strengthen efforts to prevent Iran from financing militant groups, rebuilding weapons factories and replenishing its military capabilities." CENTCOM has also said the blockade has stopped Iran exporting more than $25 billion worth of crude oil.
Iran rejected the initiative as another attempt to impose economic pressure. According to an AFP report cited by Gulf News, a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the US would fail to impose an effective economic blockade. Al Jazeera reported that Tehran threatened to "rain down hell" if the US resumes attacks.
Gulf News noted that Iran has alternative commercial networks involving neighbouring countries, Central Asia, Russia and China, and that Reuters has reported continued imports of military-related equipment by ships, trucks and freight aircraft. CENTCOM has not said how the task force will enforce restrictions on land borders and the Caspian, and Trump's claim of a complete shutdown cannot be independently verified. Al Jazeera said Trump plans to talk to Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin about Iran.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 8 November that CENTCOM had formed the task force to curb Iran's land and Caspian routes, extending a months-long naval blockade of Iranian ports. On 9 November it reported Trump saying new strikes on Iran were highly unlikely if talks keep progressing.
Why it matters
Iran borders Pakistan, so measures on its land routes and ports are closely watched here. The standoff also affects Gulf shipping, fuel prices and Pakistani workers in the region. khabr.pk recorded petrol at Rs346 per litre and high-speed diesel at Rs378 per litre on 7 November.
