WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has established a new task force to disrupt Iranian weapons shipments and sanctioned trade moving across land borders and the Caspian Sea, extending a pressure campaign that has already included a naval blockade.
Task Force Iron Gate, based in Tampa, Florida, will coordinate with federal agencies to restrict the movement of advanced weapons, dual-use technology, sanctioned merchandise and revenue that could support Iranian military operations.
“The establishment of Task Force Iron Gate reinforces the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea,” said Admiral Brad Cooper of Central Command. “Strengthening CENTCOM’s collaboration with U.S. interagency partners will further constrain Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish their military.”
The effort broadens the administration’s attempt to limit Iranian commerce beyond maritime shipping. U.S. Central Command says the naval blockade has prevented more than $25 billion in Iranian crude exports, a figure presented by the military that has not been independently verified in this report.
Reuters reported that Iran has continued importing military-related equipment through networks involving shipping from Russia, overland transport from Central Asia and cargo flights from China. Its investigation identified at least $2 billion in such imports since January 2025.
The new task force will work with the Treasury, State and Justice departments and intelligence agencies. The military has not publicly established how much trade the land-route operation will stop or whether additional U.S. strikes will follow.
