US Launches 'IRON GATE' To Block Iran's Land, Caspian Supply Routes; CENTCOM Expands Pressure - Times of India Videos
The United States is widening its pressure campaign against Iran beyond the Persian Gulf, with CENTCOM creating a new task force designed to disrupt Tehran’s supply and revenue networks across its land borders and the Caspian Sea. Task Force Iron Gate, ordered by CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper, will coordinate efforts against the movement of advanced weapons, dual-use technology, sanctioned materials and financial flows. CENTCOM says its existing naval blockade has already prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion worth of crude oil in recent months. That figure is a US military claim. The new effort targets alternative routes Tehran can use when maritime access is restricted, including links through Central Asia and the Caspian. The expansion comes even as Washington remains divided between diplomacy, sustained economic pressure and renewed military action against Iran.