ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States has established a new military task force to disrupt Iran’s use of land routes and the Caspian Sea to transport advanced weapons, sanctioned materials and other supplies, as Washington intensifies its pressure on Tehran.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Saturday that Commander Admiral Brad Cooper directed the formation of Task Force Iron Gate on Friday. The unit will prevent the movement of weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials and illicit revenue across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea.
“The establishment of Task Force Iron Gate reinforces the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea,” Cooper said in a statement. “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 latest move comes amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran following the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. The campaign killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and targeted the country's military and nuclear facilities.
Iran retaliated by launching attacks against Israel, US military bases and targets in neighboring countries, while restricting maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which approximately one-fifth of global oil supplies passed before the conflict.
The waterway has since emerged as a major flashpoint, with Iranian attacks on commercial shipping triggering repeated US military responses.
CENTCOM said the initiative builds on Washington’s maritime blockade, which has prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion worth of crude oil in recent months. It added that strict enforcement measures remain in place against vessels entering or departing Iranian ports.
Washington has simultaneously stepped up its financial campaign against Tehran. The US Treasury Department on Friday announced sanctions against eight Canada-based money services businesses accused of helping Iran and entities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) circumvent American sanctions.
According to the Treasury, the companies facilitated the conversion of Iranian rials and other currencies into digital assets, including transactions involving sanctioned Iranian cryptocurrency exchanges and digital wallets associated with the IRGC.
The measures fall under Operation Economic Outcast, a US initiative launched in August to dismantle financial networks supporting Tehran and the IRGC.
The task force's formation also coincides with renewed diplomatic efforts, mediated by Qatar, to end the conflict. However, significant disagreements persist over Iran's nuclear program, sanctions relief and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said Friday that the two sides have failed to reach a comprehensive agreement, urging both parties to compromise on a practical peace agreement rather than pursue a "perfect" deal.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Friday after announcing a new chief of staff, US President Donald Trump maintained that Washington is doing "very well" in talks with Tehran.
"We have beaten Iran. We are doing very well with Iran. We are talking to Iran. We have not lost a soldier in seven months or six months," Trump said.
