The United States military's Central Command has established a new task force to block Iran's land-based weapons supply routes, expanding its months-long naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM announced on Saturday that Task Force Iron Gate will prevent Iran from using ground routes to transport advanced weapons and other materials. Based in Tampa, Florida, the unit will coordinate with other US government agencies. It will stop the movement of advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies and sanctioned materials across Iran's land borders. It will also target illegal revenue streams across the Caspian Sea.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the task force will reinforce "the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea".
The announcement came as Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz and in the southern cities of Jask, Sirik and Bandar Abbas on Saturday. President Donald Trump confirmed new strikes on Qeshm Island on Friday but downplayed them as "minor". Iranian forces also launched a missile from Bandar Abbas on Saturday.
CENTCOM separately said it disabled a St. Kitts-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday. A US military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of the M/V Huda after directing the crew to abandon targeted spaces. Enforcement actions since July have redirected 147 commercial vessels and disabled five merchant ships that refused to comply.
Michael Mulroy, a former US deputy assistant defence secretary for the Middle East, told Al Jazeera the task force will find out where weapons systems are coming in and how they could be cut off. He added that if President Trump orders an escalation, it will likely be attacks on economic and infrastructure targets. Mulroy said these targets would be part of a plan to cut the regime off from its ability to fight and fund itself.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy reported that two oil tankers struck mines near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. Iranian state television said the tankers had passed through an "unsafe" part of the strait with their navigation systems off.
