"Iron Gate"... The US Army forms a task force to prevent Iran from transferring weapons via land routes

After months of a US naval blockade of Iran, the US military announced that a task force would be formed to bolster Washington's efforts to prevent Iran from transferring advanced weapons and other sanctioned materials across its land borders and the Caspian Sea.

The US Central Command (Centcom) said in a post on its official account on the “X” platform, previously Twitter, on Saturday: “The Commander of the US Central Command directed the establishment of a task force to support the ongoing efforts made by the US government to prevent Iran from using land routes to transport advanced weapons and other materials.”

Centcom added: “Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of US Central Command, issued his directives to form (Task Force Iron Gate), an internal working group that includes about 20 civilian and military personnel, based in Tampa, Florida.”

She added: 'This US Central Command team will coordinate with other US government agencies to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials, and illegal revenue flows across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea.'

Admiral Brad Cooper said: 'The establishment of the Iron Gate Task Force reinforces the success of our strict naval blockade imposed on Iran. Strengthening cooperation between US Central Command and other US government agencies will further restrict Iran's ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and renew its military arsenal.

In recent months, the naval blockade imposed by the United States has succeeded in preventing Iran from exporting more than $25 billion worth of crude oil. Strict enforcement operations continue at sea against all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, according to Centcom.