World
US Forms Task Force to Block Iran’s Ground Supply Lines
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday that it has created a new task force, named Task Force Iron Gate, to prevent Iran from using land routes to transport advanced weapons and other materials. The force, based in Tampa, Florida, will work with other U.S. government agencies to stop the movement of advanced weapons systems, dual‑use technologies, sanctioned materials and illegal revenue streams across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the task force would reinforce the success of the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.
Michael Mulroy, a former U.S. deputy assistant defense secretary for the Middle East, told Al Jazeera that the task force’s role will be to identify where weapons systems are entering, how they could be cut off, and how Iran transports its energy. He added that if President Donald Trump orders an escalation, attacks would likely target a series of economic and infrastructure sites, unlike Operation Epic Fury which focuses on military targets.
Separately, CENTCOM said it disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman as part of its blockade. A U.S. military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of the St. Kitts‑flagged M/V Huda, forcing the crew to abandon the ship. CENTCOM reported that since July it has redirected 147 commercial vessels that complied and disabled five merchant ships that refused to comply.
On Saturday, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported explosions on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz and in the cities of Jask, Sirik and Bandar Abbas. Trump had confirmed new strikes on Qeshm Island a day earlier, describing them as “minor,” and said Tehran still wants a deal as Qatari‑mediated talks continue. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy reported that two oil tankers struck mines near the Strait of Hormuz, suffering severe damage after passing through an “unsafe” part of the strait with their navigation systems off.