After a months-long naval blockade on Iran, the US military is setting up a task force to bolster Washington's efforts to restrict Tehran's movement of advanced weapons systems and other sanctioned material across its land borders and the Caspian Sea, according to a US Central Command (CENTCOM) announcement on Saturday.
Task Force Iron Gate, as it will be called, will be based in Tampa, Florida, and will coordinate with other US government agencies. Beyond the movement of weapons, it will also focus on dual-use and illegal revenue streams.
The task force will be made up of an internal staff of around 20 civilian and military personnel.
"Strengthening CENTCOM’s collaboration with US interagency partners will further constrain Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish its military," Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of Central Command, said in a statement.
CENTCOM blockade has prevented Iran from exporting over $25 billion in oil
CENTCOM estimated that its naval blockade has prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion in crude oil so far.
In an update shared on October 16, Cooper stated that the blockade has deprived Tehran of funding it would have used to finance proxy terror groups, criminal networks, and attacks on US allies.
He added that CENTCOM also supported interagency partners in freezing almost $350 million of Iranian cryptocurrency assets which would have been used for the same purposes.