US to target Iran’s land-based supply routes – CENTCOM

The effort is set to reinforce Washington’s ongoing sea blockade of Tehran’s ports, Admiral Brad Cooper has said The US military has announced the creation of a new task force which will be dedicated to disrupting land-based supply routes to Iran.The Task Force Iron Gate is being set up to reinforce Washington’s ongoing sea blockade of the Islamic Republic’s ports, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, said in a statement on Saturday.Ending the naval blockade is among Tehran’s key demands for settling the conflict with the US and allowing the resumption of shipping via the Strait of Hormuz, which normally accounts for around 20% of global crude trade.The task force, which will be based in Tampa, Florida and staffed with some 20 civilian and military personnel, will focus on “preventing the movement of advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials, and illegal revenue streams across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea.” It will operate in coordination with other US government agencies, CENTCOM said. Reuters reported earlier that its investigation has established that Tehran had been successful in evading both the US naval blo...