Expanding on naval blockade, US military looks to restrict Iranian land commerce

(Adds dropped word in paragraph 12) By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Building on a months-long naval blockade on Iran, the US military said on Saturday it is launching a task force to help crack down on Tehran's movement of advanced weapons and other sanctioned material over its land borders and through the Caspian Sea. Task Force Iron Gate, which was first reported by Reuters, will be based in Tampa, Florida, and will coordinate with other US government agencies.

Beyond movement of weapons, it will also focus on halting the flow of dual-use technologies used by Iran and stemming what Washington calls illegal revenue streams. The establishment of the task force is the latest illustration of how the US is still searching for ways to increase pressure on Tehran, more than eight months after launching with Israel a war against the Islamic Republic. While US strikes have dealt devastating blows to Iran's conventional military and the US naval blockade has severely restricted its crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea, Iran still poses a formidable threat to the region and its rulers have tightened their grip on the country.

IRAN'S SECRET NETWORK A Reuters investigation found Iran has created a secret network of military agencies to import at least $2 billion in hardware, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025, evading both the US naval blockade and Western sanctions. The material entered Iran by cargo ship across the Caspian Sea from Russia, by truck from Central Asia, and by freight planes from China, the Reuters investigation showed. US Central Command said the task force will coordinate with other government agencies.

A US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that was expected to include the Treasury, State and Justice Departments but also the intelligence community. "Strengthening CENTCOM’s collaboration with US interagency partners will further constrain Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish their military," Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of Central Command, said in a statement. Central Command estimated that its naval blockade has prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion in crude oil.

Still, Iran has proven resilient and gloated following US midterm election results that punished Trump's Republican Party, giving control of Congress to opposition Democrats. Vice President JD Vance blamed the Iran war for electoral rout, and appeared to question whether the conflict was worth it. Mediators have intensified efforts in recent days to ​end the war between Iran and the United States ⁠amid fears it could reignite after the US midterm ​elections.

Trump has been threatening to carry out a new offensive against Iran, putting countries in the Gulf on edge, since Tehran has threatened broad retaliation against Gulf infrastructure. Reuters has reported that US intelligence assessments in recent months have indicated that renewed strikes on Iran would not fundamentally change Tehran's negotiating position or lead to the fall of Iran's government. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Tomasz Janowski)