US expands blockade strategy, targeting Iran's overland trade and weapons flows

The United States military announced the creation of a specialised 20-member task force dedicated to disrupting land transit routes into Iran. Washington claims these overland corridors and northern waterways are being utilised to transport weapons and illicit materials into the country.

The initiative, named Task Force Iron Gate, marks an expansion of the US naval blockade currently enforced against Iranian ports during the ongoing eight-month conflict. Throughout the war, Tehran has restricted maritime traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, severely affecting global energy supplies.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Adm Brad Cooper stated that the unit's efforts “will further constrain Iran's ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish their military.” Operating out of Florida, the team, comprising both civilian and military personnel, will coordinate with various US government agencies. Their primary objective is to prevent the movement of advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials, and illicit revenue streams across Iran’s terrestrial borders as well as the Caspian Sea.

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In response to the US announcement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dismissed the new initiative, stating Washington’s efforts "will fail" to induce economic collapse in the Islamic Republic. "The United States will never be able to impose the economic blockade it is pursuing and proposing under various names and through different plans," said IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi, according to the Fars news agency. He asserted that Washington remains “powerless to block” communication and transport channels connecting Iran to neighbouring nations, adding that the US would not achieve its goal of bringing about the collapse of Iran's economy through extreme pressure.

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According to CENTCOM, the preceding naval blockade on Iranian maritime ports has successfully prevented Tehran from exporting over $25 billion in crude oil. Washington initiated an "economic asphyxiation" campaign against Iran in August to squeeze its economy, following Tehran's measures to target unauthorised vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz.