US forming ‘Task Force Iron Gate’ to cut off Iran’s arms supplies

The United States is now turning its attention to Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea to stop the country from importing weapons and military equipment. The US military is forming a special unit called “Task Force Iron Gate” to cut off the supply of advanced weapons, explosives and dual-use technology through these routes.

The announcement was made last Saturday. Alongside stopping arms supplies, the initiative also aims to shut down Iran’s sources of illicit income.

According to a Reuters report, the headquarters of Task Force Iron Gate will be in Tampa, Florida. It will work in coordination with various agencies of the US government.

As well as halting arms shipments, its job will be to block the supply of dual-use technology used by Iran.

There will be coordination between the US Central Command (CENTCOM) and other government agencies. A US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Treasury Department, the State Department and the Department of Justice, along with intelligence agencies, are expected to join the effort.

Iran shares land borders with seven countries. The borders stretch for about 5,900 kilometres (3,660 miles) in total. To the west and north lie Iraq, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan, while Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan lie to the east.

Iran also has a coastline on the Caspian Sea, stretching for about 750 kilometres (470 miles).

More than eight months after the war by the United States and Israel against Iran began, Washington is still looking for new ways to increase pressure on Tehran. US strikes have badly damaged Iran’s conventional military capability.

The country’s exports of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea have been severely limited by the US naval blockade. Even so, Iran is still considered a major threat to the region, and its rulers have also tightened internal control.

In a statement, CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said stronger cooperation between CENTCOM and other US government agencies would further limit Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories and replenish its stockpiles of military equipment.

According to CENTCOM’s estimate, the naval blockade has stopped more than 25 billion dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil exports.

A Reuters investigation found that Iran has built a secret network to import military equipment, explosives and heavy vehicles while evading Western sanctions and the US naval blockade. At least 2 billion dollars’ worth of equipment has been imported through this network since January 2025.

The investigation found that the equipment has entered Iran by cargo ship from Russia across the Caspian Sea, by truck from Central Asia and by cargo plane from China. Despite the naval blockade and Western sanctions, Tehran has continued to obtain military equipment through various routes.

Iran expressed delight after President Donald Trump’s Republican Party suffered a major setback in the US midterm elections. As a result of the election, control of Congress has passed to the opposition Democratic Party.

US Vice President JD Vance has blamed the Iran war for the Republicans’ rout in the election. He has also questioned whether continuing the conflict was the right decision at all.

Mediators have stepped up efforts in recent days to end the war between the United States and Iran. The push has intensified amid fears that the war could resume after the US midterm elections. Trump has been threatening a fresh military operation against Iran, creating concern among the countries of the Gulf region.