US launches task force to disrupt Iran's land supply routes
Written by AI from aljazeera.com's report. Not checked by a person.
US Central Command has created Task Force Iron Gate to stop Iran moving weapons and other materials over land, widening its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Explosions were reported on Qeshm Island, and CENTCOM said it disabled a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday that it has set up a new task force to block Iran's land-based supply routes. The move expands its months-long naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM said Task Force Iron Gate aims "to prevent Iran from using ground routes to transport advanced weapons and other materials". Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said it will reinforce the success of the blockade at sea.
Based in Tampa, Florida, the task force will work with other US government agencies to stop advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials and illegal revenue streams from crossing Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea.
Michael Mulroy, a former US deputy assistant defence secretary for the Middle East, told Al Jazeera the task force will look at where weapons are coming in and how Iran transports its energy. He said any escalation ordered by President Donald Trump would likely target economic and infrastructure sites, unlike Operation Epic Fury, which mainly focused on military targets.
CENTCOM also said a US military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of the St. Kitts-flagged M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman, disabling it after the crew was told to leave targeted spaces. Since July, US forces have redirected 147 commercial vessels that complied and disabled five that refused.
Iran's IRNA agency reported two explosions on Qeshm Island and several in Jask, Sirik and Bandar Abbas. Trump confirmed new strikes on Qeshm a day earlier, calling them "minor", and said Tehran still wants a deal as Qatari-mediated talks continue. The IRGC Navy reported that two oil tankers struck mines near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.
