U.S. expands naval blockade to include task force on disrupting ground transport
The U.S. did not say whether any military action would be involved in preventing weapons technology or sanctioned items from entering Iran.
Key points
- U.S. Central Command announced Task Force Iron Gate on Saturday to disrupt illegal ground shipments.
- The roughly 20-person task force will be based in Florida and target land borders and the Caspian Sea.
- The U.S. says its naval blockade has blocked about $25 billion in Iranian crude oil sales.
U.S. Central Command announced a new task force on Saturday as part of what the military calls an expansion of its naval blockade. Task Force Iron Gate is meant to disrupt illegal shipments of prohibited items, including military technology and illegal revenue streams, moving over ground transport routes.
The force will consist of about 20 civilian and military personnel based in Florida, according to the U.S. military. Its stated goal is to prevent advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials and illegal revenue streams from crossing Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea.
What officials said
Adm. Brad Cooper, chief of U.S. Central Command, said the new force "reinforces the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea." He said closer work with U.S. interagency partners would further limit Iran's ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories and replenish its military.
The announcement did not say how the task force would pursue its goal, including whether military operations would be involved. CBS News said it had asked the White House for more details.
The establishment of Task Force Iron Gate reinforces the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea
— Adm. Brad Cooper
Trade routes under pressure
China, Iran's largest trade partner, has shifted commerce to land routes, especially trains across central Asia, because of the blockade on Iranian ports. Iran also conducts large amounts of overland and Caspian Sea trade with Russia, with a direct route between southwest Russia and northern Iran; Tehran lies about 80 miles south of the Caspian Sea.
The U.S. said the blockade has prevented some $25 billion in Iranian crude oil from being sold, much of it in Asia. It was unclear whether any U.S. ships could operate in the landlocked Caspian Sea.
