• Centcom forms ‘Task Force Iron Gate’ to choke Iran’s land, Caspian supply routes; Adm Cooper says force is an internal unit rather than a military deployment; Pakistan among four Iran neighbours listed on command’s graphic
• Qatar PM warns against new escalation, urges ‘good deal’ over ‘perfect’ one
• Iran claims military ‘stronger than at start of war’, vows ‘immediate’ response to attack
WASHINGTON: The United States is expanding its campaign against Iran’s military supply chains and revenue sources beyond the sea, with US Central Command (Centcom) announcing a task force on Saturday to disrupt the flow of advanced weapons and other materials through land routes.
Centcom commander Admiral Brad Cooper directed the creation of Task Force Iron Gate, an internal team of about 20 civilian and military personnel based in Tampa, Florida.
The team will coordinate with other US government agencies to monitor and disrupt the movement of advanced weapons, sensitive technologies, sanctioned materials and illicit revenue across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea.
Centcom said the task force will focus on advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials and illegal revenue streams. An accompanying graphic described its mission as “monitor, detect and disrupt” illicit movements.
“The establishment of Task Force Iron Gate reinforces the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea,” Cooper said.
“Strengthening Centcom’s collaboration with US interagency partners will further constrain Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories and replenish their military.”
Centcom said the US naval blockade had prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion worth of crude oil in recent months. The new task force is intended to target alternative supply and commercial networks that could help Iran circumvent maritime restrictions.
The Caspian Sea connects Iran with Russia and countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus.
A Centcom graphic specifically highlights Iran’s borders with Turkiye, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan, which shares an approximately 900-kilometre border and commercial road connections with Iran, though the command described an internal team rather than a new military deployment and announced no agreement with Islamabad.
The announcement followed a Treasury Department move to designate eight digital asset service providers accused of helping Iran’s government, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other sanctioned actors move money through cryptocurrencies.
Washington also offered a reward of up to $20 million, along with possible relocation, for information about Iran’s nuclear programme. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme is seeking information about nuclear facilities, equipment and associated personnel, including scientists.
Diplomatic efforts
As Washington widens its pressure, mediators including Qatar were trying to prevent the conflict from spiralling out of control.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani warned that the Iran issue cannot be left unresolved and the region cannot afford another round of escalation, Al Jazeera TV reported.
Al Thani said the US administration remained willing to find a solution after Tuesday’s midterm elections, signalling Washington’s interest in an agreement had not changed.
After US President Donald Trump called Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Friday to discuss ending the war, the prime minister applauded US colleagues for “genuine intentions to find a way to contain the situation and to de-escalate it”.
“Thanks also to some wise voices in Tehran, we have prevented that from getting out of control,” Al Thani said in Oxford on Friday, expressing confidence a settlement could be reached after significant progress.
“We cannot wait to reach a perfect agreement; we hope to reach a good agreement,” he said, urging priority for the nuclear issue, freedom of navigation and Gulf security.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on Instagram that he had held telephone calls with ministers from 12 countries over the previous 48 hours.
Iran’s prepared
The diplomatic push comes as Tehran signals it is prepared for further confrontation as Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said on Saturday that their military had grown “stronger” since the outset of the war.
Akraminia told state news agency IRNA that Iran’s forces “are on higher alert and are stronger than they were at the beginning of the war”.
“They now possess greater motivation, commitment and self-confidence,” Akraminia added. “Under the order of the Supreme Leader, the response of the armed forces will be immediate, effective and without geographical limitations.”
Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebbi told Fars news agency that “the increase in the range of Iran’s missiles continues steadily” without pause.
Meanwhile, Akraminia said the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries one-fifth of global oil consumption, would remain closed until Washington meets Tehran’s demands under a seven-day plan proposed in September — and rejected by Trump — to lift the blockade of Iranian ports, unfreeze assets and approve an Iranian-backed route.
Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have added to the uncertainty. On Saturday, Iran’s army said a tanker in the strait “caught fire and came to a halt after striking a naval mine”, despite recent US assertions that all mines were cleared.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency also reported two missiles struck Qeshm Island in the strait, while state media said air defences “struck and destroyed” a US drone overhead.
Although regional countries anticipated Trump might resume attacks after Tuesday’s midterms, where Republicans suffered heavy losses, the US has announced no new strikes inside Iran.
Trump said that eight months of war had severely damaged Iran’s economy and military and obliterated its nuclear programme.
“We’re dealing with them now. They want to make a deal very badly,” Trump said, though International Crisis Group analyst Ali Vaez warned “a lame duck Trump could become a flame duck if Iran denies him a face-saving exit”.
With input from Agencies
Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2026
