The U.S. is expanding its blockade of Iran to include land trade routes

The U.S. Armed Forces are establishing a special task force called “Iron Gate,” which is intended to prevent the movement of Iranian weapons, sanctioned materials, and technologies across land borders and through the Caspian Sea.

The unit will be based in Tampa, Florida, and will coordinate with other U.S. agencies, including the Treasury Department, the State Department, and the Department of Justice.

The goal of the operation is to cut off supply channels for weapons and dual-use goods, as well as to limit Tehran’s illicit sources of revenue.

The task force will consist of approximately 20 civilian and military specialists. According to estimates by U.S. Central Command, the naval blockade has already prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion worth of oil.

A previous Reuters investigation revealed that Tehran had been circumventing sanctions and maritime restrictions by obtaining equipment, explosives, and trucks from Russia, Central Asia, and China.

Source: Reuters

The U.S. military attacked a merchant ship in the Gulf of Oman after its civilian crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted several times to breach the naval blockade of Iran.

Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated that the United States would face a “devastating response” if it started a war.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the United States could become an occupying force in Iran. He also acknowledged that limited military strikes had been carried out near the Iranian island of Qeshm.