On Saturday, 7th November, the United States military announced a new plan to block Iran’s land-based supply routes, expanding its ongoing naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that it had established a special 20-member task force to stop Iran from transporting advanced weapons and other restricted materials through its land borders.
CENTCOM, which oversees the US military operations in the Middle East, said the newly established Task Force Iron Gate would prevent Iran from using ground routes to move weapons and other materials. The task force will also work alongside other US government agencies to monitor the movement of restricted goods and financial resources.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the new task force would strengthen the existing naval blockade. He stated that it would reinforce “the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea”.
Based in Tampa, Florida, Task Force Iron Gate will focus on preventing the movement of advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials and illegal revenue streams across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea.
Task Force to target Iran’s weapons and economic supply networks
According to media reports, Michael Mulroy, a former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for the Middle East, said that the task force would identify the routes through which Iran receives weapons and other supplies. He further said its role would include finding out where “weapons systems are coming in, how they could potentially be cut off”, as well as examining how Iran transports its energy resources.
Mulroy also suggested that the new task force could help identify targets if US President Donald Trump decides to escalate military operations against Iran.
He explained that, unlike Operation Epic Fury, which primarily focused on military installations, any further escalation could involve attacks on economic and infrastructure targets.
According to Mulroy, such operations could form part of a broader strategy to weaken Iran’s ability to continue fighting and finance its activities.
US disables cargo ship in Gulf of Oman
Meanwhile, CENTCOM announced another action under its naval blockade of Iranian ports. On Saturday, US forces disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its crew allegedly failed to comply with instructions.
A US “military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of St. Kitts-flagged M/V Huda, disabling the ship after CENTCOM forces directed the crew to abandon targeted spaces”, it said in a statement.
“Enforcement actions since July have resulted in U.S. forces redirecting 147 commercial vessels that complied”, and disabling “five merchant ships that refused to comply”, it added.
Meanwhile, explosions were reported in several parts of Iran on Saturday. The country’s official news agency IRNA reported two explosions on Qeshm Island, located in the Strait of Hormuz. Several explosions were also reported in Jask, Sirik and Bandar Abbas.
