CENTCOM said on Nov. 7 it had formed Task Force Iron Gate, a team based in Tampa meant to work with other U.S. agencies to disrupt Iran’s movement of weapons, restricted materials and illegal revenue over land and across the Caspian Sea.
The command said the group will include about 20 civilian and military personnel. It will focus on advanced weapons systems, technologies with both civilian and military uses, materials subject to sanctions and money flows. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said the effort would add to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The command says the blockade has prevented Iranian crude-oil exports worth more than $25 billion in recent months. The oil figure and CENTCOM’s account of the blockade’s effects are claims by the command; the announcement gave no independent verification. The public statement gave few details about how Iron Gate will work, which border crossings it will focus on or what role other U.S. agencies will have.
The task force’s stated reach across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea takes the announced pressure campaign beyond efforts at sea. The move comes as the U.S. continues efforts to limit Iran’s access to military supplies and revenue.